


Taking Back the Reigns

by Themis_76



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxious Victor Nikiforov, JJ makes the right choice in the end, King Victor Nikiforov, M/M, Modern Royalty, Non-Graphic Violence, Political Drama, Sad Victor Nikiforov, scheming Phichit Chulanont & Yuuri Katsuki
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-10
Updated: 2018-09-07
Packaged: 2019-06-25 12:22:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 82,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15640674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Themis_76/pseuds/Themis_76
Summary: King Victor Nikiforov was King in name only. A puppet of Parliament - alone, orphaned, and ostrazcized, he floundered through life with no direction and no one to share it with.With his country teetering on the brink of WWIII, Victor must shed his playboy image and battle a generations-old political party to seize his rightful power from a corrupt Parliament. Finding himself in a morass of treason, violence and dirty secrets,Victor comes to terms with the past and finds a way forward.Or the AU in which Victor is King and his life is turned upside down, sideways, then put through the wringer, and Yuuri discovers his King is a major dork but adorable all the same. Buckle your seatblets and enjoy the rollercoaster! (lots of angst but no Viktuuri drama/angst and happy ending guaranteed)** A political thriller/drama with lots of twists and turns and a surprise at the end. Work is complete. Updates Mondays & Fridays





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is adapted from an original work I wrote for Nov 2017 NaNoWriMo, and originally Yuuri’s character was female, so if I missed an edit a gender reference, please forgive :) The first chapter might be a bit slow since it’s a lot of background, but I promise things escalate quickly! The end of the chapter is a series of articles/ news releases that gives a bit more of Victor's background.
> 
> There will be mentions of premature labour, and one chapter where it is depicted (warning will be in the notes as to what to skip). Everyone is healthy, but the warning is there if you need it!
> 
> **Disclaimer - I do not own the characters. The countries and political parties and all non-YOI characters are completely made up. Although you might see some recent trends in politics represented in this work, the OCs are completely fictional and not intended to resemble or represent any real person.

_December 3, 2016_

 

It was rapidly approaching noon as Victor sat, slumped in a chair in the library in Medkovo Palace, staring at the array of food in front of him - freshly baked muffins, various types of fruit and homemade yogurt. Simple, yet he knew no expense was spared in sourcing the out of season fruit and organic milk used in the yogurt. Even the coffee at his side was made from specially sourced beans and roasted to his specific taste. He cringed as he looked at the food, feeling guilty at the waste of effort the kitchen staff had spent in making it, but he just couldn’t bring himself to eat. Instead, he stared down at the tablecloth, tracing the Nikiforov family coat of arms embroidered in the centre with his eyes, and sighed internally.Of course, nothing but the best for his Royal Majesty, King Victor Dmitri Vladislav Nikiforov, he thought sarcastically. Nothing but the best even though he wasn’t allowed to earn it, wasn’t permitted to serve his people the way he yearned to. Since the constitutional amendments made by his father, the late King Maxim, the Monarch of Ruzka was a mere puppet of Parliament.It was an old thought, a constant narrative through his mind as he ruminated about the failings of his father, and the shame he had brought to the Nikiforovs.

 

Once the most powerful ruling family in the world, the Nikiforovs had let colony after colony cede from the Kingdom of Ruzka for the good of the people, resulting in a small Kingdom that enjoyed good relations with all its former colonies and one of the most stable economies in the world. For the Nikiforovs knew that a monarchy was only as strong as its people, and so always put its people first. It was a family philosophy that they had fervently believed in and strictly adhered to… at least until his father gave up his rule to the uncertainty of politics. Which is how Ruzka had ended up where it was now ... which was on the brink of war, thanks to the politics of those who put themselves and their greed ahead of their people.

 

Victor sighed, taking a sip of his coffee, feeling the hot liquid slide down his throat as he contemplated how he would spend the day. The caffeine was beginning to clear his head, which was aching from yet another hangover.He caught his reflection in an ornate mirror, blue eyes staring back at him, and grimaced. He really did look like the picture of an indolent aristocrat, lazing over a chair with his silver shoulder length hair tied back haphazardly and dressed in an expensive dark blue wool suit. His height didn’t help matters, his long legs splayed without much thought of dignity. He could have been a model, if such an occupation was appropriate for a king.

 

But he had no occupation, no job or career… and with virtually no responsibilities other than parroting Parliament’s orders to the military. With the exception of his charitable work, his days were mostly empty and meaningless. Seeking some sort of release from the noose that was his kingship, he spent his evenings with the highest ranked of the young aristocrats in the kingdom, who also found themselves with no responsibilities and no shortage of funds. But it was getting old, and he wanted nothing more than to find a more meaningful way to spend his time. He loved his charity work, but with the constant reminders of his inability to introduce any true reform, he had lost his inspiration.

 

He would turn 28 this month… 28 years since his father had foolishly signed over the entirety of his remaining governmental powers to Parliament. And coming up on 14 years since his parents had been killed in a horrendous accident, leaving him a mere teenager trying to find his way as King. He frowned in distaste, his coffee leaving a bitter taste in his mouth that was not helped by the downward spiral of his thoughts.

 

“What is the matter sir? Is the coffee not to your taste today?” Victor looked over to see that Yakov Feltsman, the family’s Head Butler, had entered the room at some point.

 

“No, thank you Mr. Feltsman, the coffee is fine, as always. I was just lost in thought for a minute there.”

 

“If you have any concerns, your Majesty, be sure to let me know and I will communicate them to the kitchen right away.”

 

Victor gave him a wan smile, trying to maintain a friendly demeanour. “Thank you Mr. Feltsman, I appreciate your attentiveness as always.”

 

Yakov had been working for the family for 45 years - Victor had, in fact, made sure to recognize that service this year with a special gift and a personal letter thanking him for his loyalty and hard work. Although, he thought chuckling internally, even though his loyalty to the Nikiforov family was unquestionable, Yakov certainly had no problem letting his disapproval of Victor shine through his normally stoic expression. And today, he definitely did not approve of King Victor. With yet another sigh he turned and grabbed the newspaper that had come with his breakfast tray. While he may not have the power to make decisions or influence Parliament, he made sure to keep up with the news, and especially Ruzka’s foreign relations.

 

Twenty minutes later whatever improvement in his headache had been achieved from the coffee was long gone. The news was terrifying.

 

The current government policies were rapidly driving the country into war with Fleodal, the largest developed country in the world, and located on Ruzka’s western border. Victor knew that such a war would not remain confined between the two countries, since every country in the world had a stake in Ruzka’s future.

 

Ruzka was lucky to have the only deposits of opryx in the world that were economically feasible to mine, and that resource was, in a large part, responsible for keeping Ruzka influential on the economic world stage. Once, Ruzka’s Kingdom had spanned the globe, but about 100 years ago bad management and two generations of weak monarchs making bad decisions had lead to Ruzka granting its colonies independence, which was best for the peoples of both the colonies and the heart of Ruzka’s Kingdom. Currently it was a mere shadow of what it once was in terms of both territory and wealth, but it had at least consolidated its strength, and its people were happy and prosperous.

 

Despite its much reduced population and landmass, opryx had been the key to maintaining Ruzka’s world influence, even as its former colonies clamoured between themselves for international power. Opryx was a crystal that was first valued for its ability to transmit light. First used in military applications during WWI and WWII, it remained a key element in developing technology. And now, with the push towards electric cars and green energy, opryx was taking a starring role, though Victor didn’t really understand the mechanics of it. However, where opryx would really be invaluable, he was told, was in the medical field.

 

The current government was power hungry, and was leveraging Ruzka’s monopoly over opryx to presumably gain more global influence. The push was lead by the current Prime Minister, JJ Leroy, who was now three years into his term, and backed by his party which held a supermajority in Parliament. Under his leadership, the government had drastically changed foreign policy by raising the price of opryx dramatically, increasing their military forces and increasing trade tariffs on just about everything. On a more alarming note, they had also instituted stricter immigration laws, which, beside the obvious worries regarding exclusion, meant that Ruzka could no longer be the destination for young tech talent as it had been since the beginning of the prevalence of opryx in technology. All these policies taken together led to the conclusion that Ruzka was quickly headed towards becoming a fascist state, a fact not unnoticed by the rest of the world.

 

And it was something that Victor could have corrected, he grumbled to himself, if only he had the powers under the constitution that the Monarchy had had until his father had signed them away.

 

The increased price of opryx and increased tariffs had caused waves in the international community. It had resulted in calls for control over Ruzka’s economic independence, with some going so far as to threaten trade embargoes, a threat if it were to become reality would cause the people of Ruzka to suffer unspeakably. While a great nation, Ruzka had little landmass and few resources aside from opryx, a state which had caused the initial desire to colonize. To date Ruzka had been fortunate as all its former colonies had been allowed to become independent peacefully, and as a result, Ruzka enjoyed very strong alliances with its former colonies, which included favourable terms for trade and military support.

 

But all that was about to come crashing down as a direct result of the greediness of the current government.

 

Victor felt sick thinking about it. Everything that generations of his family had worked for would be gone, and not just gone, but remembered as the result of a greedy, racist regime. It was completely contrary to the philosophy that his family had always had - the ‘people first’ mentality that had been drilled into him since he was an infant.

 

Despite his hangover and the fact that he had just woken up, he felt himself craving a glass or wine. … or something stronger. To have his name associated with the horrific things the government was doing was slowly killing him. Not only did it go against every value instilled into him by his father, but it personally offended him. And the proverbial straw that was really breaking his back was the fact that each order of the government - each offensive piece of shit legislation and directive -had the King’s seal attached.

 

Why? Because he had been incapacitated; denied his due right of veto. And as a result of his father’s actions, no less.

 

But these days the public didn't have a full appreciation of that. They saw the King’s seal and assumed that he endorsed the laws that were passed.

 

Oh, how wrong they were. So, so wrong. He was required by the Constitution Act to affix his seal. No right of veto, no ability to object.

 

However slim a hope, it seemed that common sense seemed to want to prevail as public opinion was starting to sway against the government and the Monarchy. The people were starting to embrace the Progressive Party, a party Victor’s own father had been actively supporting, especially before his untimely death. But with war imminent, it was too little too late, and the damage had likely been done before public opinion could have any sort of influence on policies of the ruling party.

 

Lost in the morass of those dark thoughts, Victor had failed to notice that Yakov had made another appearance.

 

The older gentleman cleared his throat with the distinctive cough only a well trained butler could ever manage.

 

“Excuse me, your Majesty, but Mr. Chulanont of the Progressives is here to see you, sir. I have him waiting in the small parlour if that meets with your approval, sir.”

 

Well this was highly unusual, he thought. What on earth would a Member of Parliament want with him? And especially an MP such as Phichit Chulanont who was thought to be the rising star of the Progressives...

 

“Thank you, Mr. Feltsman, the small parlour will do nicely. I assume you have made arrangements for proper refreshment?”

 

“Of course, your Majesty,” Yakov said, bowing low as he did so.

 

“Thank you, Mr. Feltsman. And did Mr. Chulanont happen to mention the business that brought him here today?”

 

“No sir, he did not see fit to enlighten me, though I did, of course, inquire.”

 

Victor was amused at Yakov’s obvious annoyance. He stood up, stretching a bit to shake off what he could of his hangover. It was very strange for a Member of Parliament to come to the Palace to see him. Normally they ‘requested’ his presence in the government buildings that surrounded Parliament Hall. Whatever it was, he knew he needed to be on his guard, and have his wits about him. Luckily for him, most everyone dismissed him as an airhead, someone who just enjoyed the privileges of his title without a care in the world. No one realized that he had actually been educated and trained by the very best private tutors.

 

As he made his way to the parlour Yakov had indicated, he felt himself tensing up in anticipation. Normally the only times he was acknowledged by the government were when they needed him for ceremonial purposes or when they had specific instructions for the military. Given the new threats that were being uttered by the crazed president of Fleodal, he was afraid that he might be given the direction to mobilize the navy, or worse, the air force. It would be strange to be coming from the official opposition rather than a member of the Monarchist party, but these days, who knew what was going on within Parliament. That thought cleared the last of the cobwebs from his head, and he increased his pace.

 

He entered the room to find Phichit Chulanont standing by the window, staring outside blankly, with his hands clasped behind his back. He studied the man a moment before alerting him to his presence. At 32, Phichit was the youngest Member of Parliament, though he was very outspoken and had made quite a name for himself. He was a few inches shorter than Victor, with a thin, athletic frame. His skin was tanned, a beautiful sun-kissed hue that immediately made one think of sunshine. Usually Phichit always moved with grace, but at the moment his body was taut, the tension visible in the tilt of his head, and the painful way he had clasped his hands.

 

Victor cleared his throat, and the other man whipped around quickly, obviously surprised. He bowed low, respectfully, which was a welcome change from how he was normally greeted by members of government.

 

“My apologies, your Majesty, for arriving unannounced and uninvited.” He straightened, his dark brown eyes looking straight into Victor’s with a touch of uncertainty. “This matter simply cannot wait any longer, your Majesty, and I felt the need to take action immediately.”

 

Victor studied him a moment, trying to get a read on his intentions. The uncertainty he had seen flicker in the man’s eyes piqued his interest.He was here to ask for something, rather than just an errand boy bringing the government’s latest orders.

 

He raised an eyebrow, sceptical, as he replied, “Oh, and what could I possibly help you with?”

 

The man before him winced slightly as he picked up on the slight sarcasm Victor had let slip into his tone. “Perhaps, your Majesty, if we could sit and make ourselves more comfortable… I have a proposal to present to you, and the explanation could take some time.”

 

Victor nodded his assent and made his way to the wingback he normally used for audiences such as this. He settled into the chair, finding the soft texture of the familiar velvet brocade reassuring, and indicated the settee across from him.

 

After Phichit sat down, a footman who had been standing nearly invisibly against the wall, moved forward to serve them, making Phichit jump slightly. Victor let a small chuckle escape. After all, it did no harm to remind his visitor of just who he was dealing with. The Nikiforov name was a revered one, one associated with every important world event in the last 400 years. His staff was loyal to the family, respectful of their history, and never failed to perform their duties as if the King was the ruler of the world itself. Phichit may think he was dealing with a young dimwit, easily manipulated, but it was a far cry from the truth.

 

Not many knew Victor well enough to see through the veneer of the playboy personality he known for in the press. But if they had earned his trust, they would see that he had a shrewd mind, the mind of one who had a deep understanding of human nature, and who could use that understanding to make his way through the complexities of foreign politics while recognizing and protecting what his citizens truly needed. They would also see a man who was deeply dedicated, not just to his country, but to his people. After all, the only reason the Nikiforov family had survived as monarchs for so long was because they were dedicated not to power, but to the prosperity of their people. The first thing every Nikiforov child learned was that their very existence was at the pleasure of their people. No, Victor was far from the insipid, shallow partier he was portrayed as.

 

While he observed his guest, the footman collected a bone china cup from a nearby table and poured Victor a coffee, precisely the way he preferred. He then turned to Victor’s visitor and served him as well after determining the man’s preferences before returning to his silent post beside the door. Phichit looked extremely awkward through the whole proceeding, Victor observed, to his great amusement.

 

“Would you care for something to eat as well, Mr. Chulanont? I can have the kitchen staff bring us something, sandwiches perhaps if you want something to snack on while you speak.”

 

“Oh, um, not right now thank you. And, uh, please call me Phichit, your Majesty.”

 

Victor nodded in acknowledgement, but did not return the favour of offering a more familiar appellation. Until he determined what the other man’s intentions were, he wanted to maintain whatever illusion of power he could. “Alright, Phichit, why don’t you explain what brings you here?”

 

Phichit set his cup down carefully on the low table situated between them and took what looked to be a bracing breath before meeting Victor’s eyes.

 

“I don’t know how up to date you are about the current political situation your Majesty, but we are quickly reaching a point of crisis. And being perfectly honest, it looks like war is a near inevitability at this point.”

 

Victor interrupted, sensing the conversation would go a lot more smoothly if he admitted his knowledge of the situation. “Yes, I am quite aware of the situation, Phichit. Contrary to popular belief, I actually keep myself well versed in both internal and external politics. I may not be able to do anything about it, but Ruzka is still my kingdom, and its citizens are still my people. While I am not privy to the inner machinations of Parliament, you can proceed knowing that I am aware of everything that is in the public domain.”

 

Phichit was watching him closely, and a glimpse of hope flashing briefly in his eyes.

 

“Yes, of course your Majesty. That will make our conversation a little easier then. So, as you are aware, the policies of the Monarchists have put Ruzka in the position where Fleodal feels that it needs to take action to stop our monopoly over opryx. And despite the fact that we all love to laugh at President Powell and his ridiculous antics, the position Fleodal is taking is no laughing matter. Last night our intelligence services uncovered the fact that Fleodal, under President Powell’s direction, has now mobilized its armed forces. It’s now a matter of time until they attack. The good news is that it looks like the move is merely strategic for now, but it won’t be long before they’re in position for an all out war.”

 

Victor frowned. He’d had a bunch of messages awaiting him this morning that he had yet to deal with, and he assumed that the intelligence branch of the military (Ruzka Intelligence Corps, or the RIC) had reached out to him on this very matter. While the constitutional changes made by his father had stripped the Monarchy of any power over the laws or policy of the kingdom, the Monarch remained in charge of the military. In fact, it was ostensibly the purpose of the changes; to allow the Monarch to focus on protecting the people rather than ‘telling them what to do’. Of course the whole thing was an absolute farce; although he lead the military he could not do a thing without government sanction. It meant he was reduced to an errand boy, relaying government orders to his troops and nothing more meaningful. To make up for it, he had immersed himself as much as he could in the day to day matters of his men and women, organizing and supervising training exercises, ensuring that their health care and educational programs were up to his standards… it wasn’t a lot, but it had garnered a deep loyalty within the armed forces, and he maintained close working relationships with the heads of all the divisions. And because of this, he knew that Christophe Giacometti, head of the RIC, would ensure that this news reached his ears, along with recommendations on how to deal with it.

 

“Your Majesty,” Phichit continued, “Ruzka is in crisis. Its people are going to suffer immeasurably if this comes to pass. And whereas once we would have been able to rely on our colonies to come to our defence, the immigration policies and the price increases of opryx have turned them against us, or at least forced them to refuse to openly support us. For the first time in Ruzka’s existence, we are alone. And we are vulnerable.” Phichit spoke passionately, his dark eyes sparking with the heat of anger, an anger obviously directed at the current majority government. Then, as Victor watched, those brown eyes hardened into something stronger, a grim determination glinting within and echoing in his expression.

 

Raising his voice to a theatre pitch, he declared, “It is up to you, King Victor Dmitri Vladislav Nikiforov to stop this war and save your people.” Phichit stopped there, his dramatic statement echoing through Victor’s mind just as it echoed through the room.

 

Despite the almost eye roll inducing theatrics Phichit had used, Victor felt his eyes widen at Phichit’s statement - no, his demand. This certainly had been the last thing that he had expected would come out of this visit. But still, he was deeply cynical, doubting any support that he might receive for making any sort of political move.

 

Letting the cynicism seep into his voice, he asked Phichit, “And, ignoring the impossibility of that scenario since the Monarchy has been stripped of all its power, just what is it exactly that you think I could do?”

 

“Well, that’s the crux of the problem. The first thing that you need to do is take back your power... It won’t be easy, but I believe it is possible.” Phichit’s eyes had hadn’t left Victor’s, his passion showing in the burning of his dilated pupils. He stayed silent after that, letting Victor digest his words and decide how he wanted to respond.

 

And just how did he want to respond?

 

It was, of course, everything he had dreamed of… to follow in his father’s footsteps and be the leader his people needed. Despite having signed away his constitutional powers, his father had been dedicated to the people, as all Nikiforovs were, and had had the political acumen to do it effectively. He had been one of the most popular kings before his apparent abdication, the people expressing disappointment when he had taken a backseat to presumably direct the military. And oddly enough, he had raised Victor with the same principles, despite the fact that the monarchy was stripped of power mere days before he had been born. Maybe, he thought, just maybe, his father was preparing him for just this eventuality.

 

He took a sip of his coffee, considering. The man before him was from the official opposition party, not the majority. But despite that, his prowess with social media had garnered him a huge following, especially with the 45 and under population. So despite his technical lack of power within Parliament, his role in swaying public opinion made him more powerful than one would think, which Victor couldn’t discount. And that very fact is what made his proposal interesting, and perhaps more than a pipe dream. If anyone could pull such a thing off, it would be Phichit Chulanont.

 

He set down his coffee, deciding to take this seriously and hear out the plan. But he would also guard his heart, knowing that truthfully such an idea was the stuff of dreams.

 

“You said you had a proposal. Do you care to share it with me?” He needed a true and honest answer before he could even begin to consider the possibility.

 

“Yes, of course, your Majesty. As you know, the rating polls show that public support of the Monarchists is an all time low. However, their approval rating is irrelevant since they hold too many seats for the Progressives to provide any sort of check and balance - they have a supermajority government, holding 71 out of the 100 seats, therefore they can pass even bills that require 70% approval. There is absolutely nothing that anyone can do at this point to reign the government in. And they seem hell bent on driving Ruzka into a world war. But… if your old powers were restored, you would be able to reverse the current policies using theMonarch’s veto power, and actually direct the military properly. If necessary, you could also invoke the emergency powers and take over lead of Ruzka entirely until the crisis has passed. That is, after all, exactly why the monarchs of Ruzka retained their special powers under the Constitution Act. It was to prevent a situation exactly like this from happening.”

 

“And, I think right now,” he continued, “the time is ripe to reverse the changes to the Constitution Act. I believe that we start by bringing you back into the public’s awareness - not as the ceremonial figurehead you’ve been, but as a leader, a voice of reason, and the King that they can trust to protect his people.”

 

There was a pause while Victor thought over Phichit’s words. “Well, that’s a pretty speech, but how do you plan to accomplish that? Public confidence in the Monarchy has been gone a long time, thanks to my father. The people still believe that he abandoned them.” Victor tried to keep his emotions under control. Phichit’s words were those he had longed to hear for so long, but regaining public support would be an uphill battle. He wasn’t going to lie to himself about that.

 

Phichit cleared his throat before beginning again. “Things have changed a bit. After all, it’s been 28 years since King Maxim made those changes. There are a lot of young people who don’t remember how things were before, and don’t have the same feeling of betrayal that the older generation had at the time. And a lot of time has passed, those feelings have dulled over time. Add to that the fact that those actions weren’t yours - you just inherited the situation. We can capitalize on that, and evoke sympathy for you.”

 

“I _can_ do this, your Majesty,” Phichit declared passionately, “I can do it through social media, which I am rather an expert at. It’s how I became elected after all.” Victor nodded at him, acknowledging his words. Phichit’s story was well known. He had come out of relative obscurity, using social media platforms to campaign, taking advantage of his limited funds. He had become quite popular, and in the end he had won, ousting a long time and (previously) well loved member of the Monarchist party. His riding was one of the most traditional, one of the ridings the Monarchists most relied on, and a tranche of their power. It had been a big hit to the party to have lost that seat… not that it had mattered in the end when they had won the supermajority. But realistically, if someone could successfully run a campaign to gather support for Victor, it was Phichit.

 

“My plan is multi-pronged,” Phichit started, enthusiasm bubbling up. “First, we need to get you out doing more volunteering. You need to take lots of selfies and post them to your Instagram and Twitter. I want mainly candid shots, not posed photos. You need to let me know when these are scheduled, and I will make sure that I have some of my people in the crowd, and they will post photos as well with the appropriate hashtags. Second, we need to get you interviewed on the current political situation. You need to have an opinion. Right now no one knows where you stand on these issues. I was thinking that we can do it under the guise of interviewing you on the state of the military and how it stands as ready, etc. That way the Monarchists will think the interview will just support their position that Ruzka is ready and can handle a war. If they knew you were going to voice a stance on the policies I have no doubt they would try to block it. So leave that portion to me since we don’t want it to look like it’s you requesting the interview. I will just make the suggestion that knowing the military is ready would go a long way to reassure the people.”

 

“And third…” Phichit paused, looking uncomfortable. “Um... your Majesty, it would really help if you, uh, stopped being seen with your current crowd. They… um… don’t have the best reputation.”

 

Victor laughed loudly at this last statement, making Phichit look even more uncomfortable. “That last won’t be a problem, Phichit. I have never been much attached to that crowd; however, as King it is very difficult to find any people my age to associate with. And really, until now my reputation didn’t really matter, so it did no harm. However…” Victor gave Phichit an appraising look before continuing, “I can see your point. That is IF I decide to go ahead with this. Entering the fray might just make things worse at this point, especially if there are promises made that can’t be delivered. I can see you’ve put a lot of thought into this - but what about the Constitution Act? Even if the social media campaign works, that doesn’t change the fact that you need 70 votes to make those changes. How are you going to go about that?”

 

“Well, I have some thoughts on that. There are a couple ways of going about it; however, I believe the best way of going about it is to create so much public unrest that certain members of Parliament will be swayed. I have been doing a lot of friendly chatting with some of the Parliamentary staff, and I know of quite a number of MP’s that are uncomfortable with what Prime Minister Leroy and his contingent have been doing. Once the public outrage has reached a critical level I believe that I can reach out to those MP’s and convince them to vote for a bill that the Progressive will put forward to amend the constitution . And before you ask, the Labour Party will vote with the Progressives, I have been assured of that.”

 

“And if that doesn’t work? If the ‘public outrage’ as you call it does not reach that level, then what?”

 

Phichit flushed, the tips of his ears turning bright red. “I do have some other thoughts, but I will need to borrow your own personal intelligence personnel for that.”

 

“Blackmail, huh?” Victor cocked his eyebrow. “Why, Mr. Chulanont, I didn’t think you were capable of such underhanded plots. Whatever would your constituents think?”

 

Phichit now looked flustered, but more determined and sure than he had since Victor had laid eyes on him. He responded, his voice growing in volume, until he was shouting at the end of his speech, “Desperate times call for desperate measures. I will not let the people of this country suffer from a needless war caused solely by delusional power mongering old men who are more interested in lining their wallets than whether those who brought them that power in the first place live or die. And I have a good idea what we will find, and believe me, their crimes will not make me regret what you call an underhanded plot!”

 

Victor took in Phichit’s response, paying particular attention to the remark about lining their wallets. He’d been suspicious of that for some time, and it looked like he wasn’t the only one. He smiled, attempting to calm his guest down. “I’m glad to hear you’re so determined Phichit. That gives me some confidence that you might actually pull this off. However, I’m afraid I can’t give you an answer immediately. I need to think about your proposal and decide for myself if it is the right thing to do.”

 

Phichit didn’t bother to hide the look of disappointment on his face. “I see, your Majesty,” he said formally, bitterness touched with anger bleeding into his voice. “Well, if you change your mind, you know where to find me. Just don’t leave it too long, or you’ll find yourself a King without a country.”

 

The King growled, irritated. “No! Do not twist my words, nor mistake my meaning. I did not say no, I said I needed to think about it. I am not about to make an impulsive decision when it comes to Ruzka’s future. Despite what people may think, I am not, and refuse to be, a mindless puppet. The Constitution Act may demand that I carry out the orders of Parliament, but beyond a demand made upon me by the law, I refuse to carry out the plans of others merely at their pleasure. That includes not just the Monarchists, but everyone, including you, Mr. Chulanont.”

 

The MP stared at him, clearly shocked by the King’s words and raised voice, his face pale and his hands trembling. He bowed low, “My apologies your Majesty, you are right. Please… do not let my outburst reflect on the merits of the proposal. We need you, your Majesty... your people need you desperately.” Phichit straightened as Yakov entered the room.

 

Victor glanced at his butler then back at Phichit. “I will, as I said, think about what you have proposed. Mr. Feltsman, if you could escort Mr. Chulanont out, I believe our business for today has concluded.”

 

Victor watched them leave then put his head in his hands, rubbing his temples to relieve some of the tension. After a moment, he straightened again and addressed the footman, “Mr. Norton, could you please request some sandwiches be sent up to the library? Maybe some soup if they happen to have some on hand.”

 

“Yes sir, it would be my pleasure. And to drink, sir?”

 

“Just some sparkling water with lemon, please.” With a nod, the footman left, leaving Victor alone with his thoughts. He sighed heavily, and got up, deciding to take a detour to his quarters to change into some loungewear before heading to the library. After all, it was not like he was going to be going anywhere for the next little while, so he might as well be comfortable. He had a lot to think about, and the library, having been lovingly decorated by his mother, was his favourite place to do so. Times like these he missed her presence so much; her calm and steady embrace was always a cure for tumultuous thoughts.

 

When he arrived he found his lunch already waiting for him. His eyes scanned the shelves for a moment before coming to rest on a worn, familiar album. He reached for it, deciding that for today he would indulge himself. He didn’t often let himself look at this album, the pain often too much to handle. It contained his favourite photos of his parents, and of them as a family. But it also contained news articles and media releases that were pertinent to his discussion with Phichit.

 

Taking a deep breath, he opened the album and began to read about the events that had irrevocably changed the Nikiforov Monarchy.

 

~~~~~~

 

 

> December 23, 1988
> 
> **OFFICE OF**
> 
> **HIS MAJESTY KING MAXIM YEGOR ALEXEI NIKIFOROV**
> 
> For immediate release
> 
> Media Advisory
> 
> **Constitutional Amendments to Reduce Monarchy’s Authority**
> 
> His Majesty King Maxim Yegor Alexei Nikiforov introduced Bill 19 into Parliament today, pursuant to the Monarch’s authority under section 64 of the Constitution Act. Bill 19 repeals Part V, sections 60-79 of the Constitution Act in its entirety, and will come into effect immediately after being ratified by Parliament.
> 
> His Majesty will hold a press conference today, Friday, December 23, 1988, at 1600 hours at Medkovo Palace to address the media. Questions for his Majesty must be submitted no later than 1300 hours, and should be addressed to his personal secretary, Ms. Robyn Walters.

 

~~~~~~

  

 

> Saturday, December 24, 1988
> 
> **RUZKA TRIBUNE**
> 
>  
> 
> **Constitutional Shocker!**
> 
> By ALYA SINGH
> 
> World Press Writer
> 
> _____________________
> 
> In a move that shocked the country, and right before Parliament breaks for the holiday, King Maxim introduced a bill into Parliament yesterday morning which amends the Constitution Act by repealing all sections that grant the Monarch of Ruzka authority to exercise constitutional powers.
> 
>  
> 
> This comes as a surprise to many, since as recently as last week, King Maxim was an active voice in Parliament, commending the Progressives for policies that he has termed “people first”, a philosophy the Monarchy has espoused since its inception in 1644.
> 
>  
> 
> In a press conference held late yesterday, the King stated that he believed that it was time for Ruzka to be lead solely by its elected government, and that it was time for the Monarchy to take a backseat in the governing of the Kingdom. King Maxim further stated that it was more appropriate for the Monarchy to focus on its historical role leading Ruzka’s military, and the amendments would allow him to give the military his full attention.
> 
>  
> 
> Bill Meyer, a constitutional expert and political scientist at the University of Medkovo, stated that the amendments “gut the core of the [Monarch’s] power in Ruzka”, leaving King Maxim with only some residual power over the administration of the military.
> 
>  
> 
> By using section 64 of the Constitution Act, he explained that the King “avoided having the bill debated in Parliament, and was able to ambush Parliament with the amendments before they could be properly debated or discussed.” The next step in the procedure, Mr. Meyer explained, was that Parliament will ratify the amendments, which is a mere formality. Ratification is expected when Parliament resumes on Monday, January 9, 1989.
> 
>  
> 
> Representatives from the Monarchist Party have made public statements in full support of the King’s amendments, calling the King “a responsible Monarch who recognizes that in the modern world, a country should be ruled by its elected representatives.” World Press reached out to the Progressive Party for comment, but did not receive a response by press time.
> 
> As for what this might mean for Ruzka’s future, Mr. Meyer speculated that “without the authority to take control of the government in an emergency, Ruzka’s citizens “must be diligent and active in the election process”. When asked what he thought the King’s motivation might be, Mr. Meyer replied
> 
> ( **continued on page 2** )  

~~~~~~ 

> December 25, 1988
> 
> **OFFICE OF**
> 
> **HIS MAJESTY KING MAXIM YEGOR ALEXEI NIKIFOROV**
> 
> For immediate release
> 
> Media Advisory
> 
> **Birth Announcement**
> 
> Their Royal Majesties proudly announce that Her Majesty Queen Elizaveta Nikiforov has been delivered of a son.
> 
> His Royal Highness, Prince Victor Dmitri Vladislav Nikiforov was born this morning at 0223 hours.
> 
> Due to complications, both Queen Elizaveta and Prince Victor will remain in the hospital under the care of the King’s personal physician until further notice. King Maxim gives thanks in advance for well wishes, and requests that the family be granted privacy while the Queen and Prince recover.
> 
> Media inquiries may be addressed to the personal secretary of King Maxim, Ms. Robyn Walters.

 ~~~~~~

 

> Wednesday, April 23, 2003
> 
> **RUZKA TRIBUNE**
> 
>  
> 
> **KING MAXIM, QUEEN ELIZAVETA DEAD IN HORRIFIC ACCIDENT, PRINCE VICTOR ORPHANED**
> 
> By JOSEPH HARRINGTON
> 
> World Press Writer
> 
> _____________________
> 
>  
> 
> All of Ruzka is in mourning today as the news of the Monarchs’ deaths yesterday afternoon spread throughout the Kingdom.
> 
>  
> 
> King Maxim, 49, and Queen Elizaveta, 42, were killed instantly when a tractor trailer lost control and crossed into oncoming traffic, hitting their Majesties’ vehicle head on. The driver of the vehicle, still unidentified, survived the impact but died before he could be extricated from the wreckage.
> 
>  
> 
> The office of King Maxim has announced that Prince Victor will be crowned King in the near future, after an official regency council has been named. At 14, Prince Victor will require a formal regency until his 18th birthday, when he will formally take control of his affairs.
> 
>  
> 
> As required by law, an inquest into the matter will be held, as was announced by MP Plisetsky, of the Monarchist Party. Members of the panel for the inquest have been appointed, and will be announced in due time. MP Plisetsky advised that the panel has been instructed to proceed with all haste.
> 
>  
> 
> The office of King Maxim asks that the people respect this time of mourning for Prince Victor, and hold off offering messages of condolence until an official channel can be arranged.
> 
>  
> 
> Time and location of the state funeral are expected to be announced in the next few days.
> 
> **More to come...**


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phichit and Yuuri talk while King Victor decides on the merits of Phichit's proposal. Yakov decides to weigh in.

Phichit arrived at Yuuri’s office, his friend already waiting anxiously to hear the results of his meeting. The two were best friends, having been roommates in university, though they kept their friendship on the down low, not wanting Yuuri’s reputation tarnished by accusations of undue influence in carrying out government policy, or accusations leveled at Phichit for trying to influence government decisions.

 

Both had majored in Political Science, though their career paths had taken different directions. Phichit, with his outgoing personality and undeniable charisma, had always wanted to become a politician. Yuuri, on the other hand, was a shy thing who avoided the spotlight whenever possible. He chose instead to follow the paths of his parents, choosing to devote his time to the public service. At 32, Yuuri had risen astronomically through the ranks to his current position of Deputy Clerk of the Privy Council, which was arguably one of the most powerful positions within the government bureaucracy. It was certainly one of the most influential.

 

“So? How did it go? Were you even able to see him?” Yuuri demanded as Phichit sat down. They didn’t often meet there, but being a Saturday in the season of holiday parties, it was almost certain that no one would be around. No one but workaholic Yuuri, in any event.

 

Phichit chuckled as he responded, “Yes, Yuuri, I met with him, and yes, Yuuri, before you ask, he really does look like a Greek God.” Phichit outright cackled at Yuuri’s answering blush and half hearted stuttered protests. “But seriously,” Phichit said, sobering up, “I outlined the situation and our plan as he had discussed.”

 

“And….?” Yuuri prompted as Phichit paused.

 

“And...I don’t know,” Phichit huffed. “He was surprisingly up to speed on the situation. He was also quick to realize the implications of the information I gave him. So that’s good at least. I have to admit I was surprised at how astute he seems to be.”

 

“PHICHIT!!!! Quit beating around the bush, is he going to go along with it?”

 

“I don’t know. He got a little pissy with me towards the end there. Though he did say he was going to think about it. I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing though. I think if we are able to work with him, we’re going to find he’s a lot different than his image. It certainly seems that he’s been educated in leadership in any event.”

 

“I’m not surprised. He _is_ the head of the military, after all.”

 

“Yes, but we both know he’s no more than a puppet. The Monarchists keep him on a very tight leash. Unless war actually breaks out, I don’t think the King is able to do much more than approve the menu served in the mess.”

 

“Mmmm,” Yuuri responded. “I’m not so sure of that. I mean, yes, he has to take orders directly from the government, but I see lots of requisitions and other contracts that say that the King is leading them the best he can. Like the special pension plan he has set up for vets. That was one thing that didn’t get caught in the net of needing Parliamentary approval, and not many people know that Ruzka’s military have a different pension plan than other public service workers. And believe me, I’m quite jealous. He’s done well by them.”

 

Phichit looked at him, considering. “Ok, that makes a certain amount of sense. Given what I saw today, I am leaning toward believing your faith in him is not misplaced,”

 

“Phichit! If you had such big doubts, why did you go through with it to begin with? We both know that it was a bit of a risk.”

 

“Because I have faith in _you_ , Yuuri. And even though you have a giant assed crush on King Victor, You’ve been pretty certain that he could be trusted, and more than that, that he was necessary to make any sort of difference.”

 

Yuuri ran his fingers through his hair, sighing. “I know, ok. I know how it looks with me suggesting that he can be our saviour or something corny like that. And no, I’m not going to deny he was my teenage crush. You were my roommate, there’s no denying that with the posters I had in my room. But… you also know that I know _everything_ that goes on behind the scenes. There is nothing that any MP or bureaucrat does with government funds or other resources that I am not aware of. I also hear the gossip and know a lot that goes on behind the scenes. And what that tells me is that there is no one within government right now that has the ability, inclination or the resources to pull this off. You admitted yourself that the only real way to do this is through public pressure. It has to come from a source external to government.”

 

“Of course, you’re right,” Phichit returned, grinning at him. “Yuuri Katsuki, evil genius. Seriously though, the amount of information you have access to and control over is downright scary at times… if you ever decided to cross to the dark side we’d all be in trouble!”

 

Yuuri laughed, clear and bright, in the way that only those with an untroubled conscious can laugh. “Good thing then that we don’t have to worry about that, huh? Mr. ‘Progressive party MP who has no right or place influencing government workings behind the Monarchist’s back’?”

 

“YUUUUUURRRRIIII!!!!! We’ve discussed this! That’s why we don’t make our friendship public. I don’t need people accusing me of abusing power somehow. Our party whip would _kill_ me if he thought I was going against the party’s wishes.”

 

“And now, Phichit? What of our cockamamie scheme? I still can’t believe you’re doing this. Isn’t it political suicide?”

 

“Nah, relax. I cleared it with the party leader. And truthfully… they’re hoping that this works. Of course, everyone is a bit selfish. They’re hoping it works not just to save Ruzka, but because this could be a crack in the public support of the Monarchists, one that we can not only exploit, but one that could be decisive in future elections. ...that is assuming we still have a country and our own government…”

 

Both men became pensive as they considered the situation. Desperate times called for desperate measures, and approaching the King had certainly been a desperate measure. Not only because there was no guarantee of an audience, but because the King was known for his lack of interest in governing Ruzka… or at least that was what Phichit had believed until today. Yuuri had evidently seen something different in the pattern of endless paperwork that crossed his desk.

 

Breaking their tense silence, Yuuri reached into the ‘special’ drawer in his desk and pulled out a bottle and two glasses. Phichit smiled, knowing what that meant. He rose smoothly and walked over to the cabinet that he knew held some clean sake cups. Returning to Yuuri’s desk, he set them down carefully and let Yuuri pour while he checked his phone.

 

“So,” Yuuri said finally, “tell me all about the Palace.”

 

Phichit grinned, taking a sip of sake, and settled in for a good gossip session with his bestie.

 

~~~~~~

 

In the days following Phichit’s visit, Victor brooded and stayed inside the Palace, a fact not lost on his servants. He was sure that the footman had probably told the rest of the staff about the conversation he had had with Phichit, but his servants knew their place and did nothing to indicate that they knew, or what their opinions on the matter were. And for that Victor was grateful. He had enough on his mind without have to step carefully around his staff.

 

He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Phichit’s proposal, of course. It haunted his thoughts day and night; both the possibility of succeeding and the ramifications of either succeeding or failing. This was his first test as King, and he had no idea what he should do. And really, if he was being honest, it was his first test as a _person_. With the exception of the death of his parents, life had demanded nothing of him and he had not faced any sort of struggle or trials. As the King, even upon being orphaned he had been taken care of, his every need fulfilled before he could even ask. And everything seemed to come easily to him - his studies, his role leading the military - it was like it was handed to him on a literal silver platter ...except friendship, he supposed. He had never felt comfortable enough with anyone to truly let them in, excepting perhaps some of his staff. And perhaps Christophe, the commander of the Ruzka Intelligence Corps (the RIC), which was the arm of the military that specialized in intelligence. He had no one to ask advice of, no one to distract him from his thoughts. He knew the crowd he hung out with just liked the prestige of hanging out with ‘the King’. None of them had even tried to get to know who he was as a person.

 

And who was he, anyway? Who was Victor Dmitri Vladislav Nikiforov, the person, not the King? What value did he have? What value could he add? What if he went through with the plan, and garnered the necessary public support? Was he strong enough? Was he good enough? Could he actually follow through if he got his authority back?

 

And that was the main question. What could he do to turn the situation around even if he had the Monarch’s traditional constitutional powers? Were they already too far down this path to avoid war? He would have to deal with President Powell - face to face, no less. The man was crazed, some said mentally disturbed. And truly, the things that were posted to that man’s Twitter really did resemble the ramblings of a mad man. Although Victor had had lots of instruction in diplomatic relations, he had never had the opportunity to gain any practical experience. Could he handle a man like that without making things worse? His age was certainly a factor against him. At only 28 years old, how would he get anyone to take him seriously?

 

These questions and more rattled around in his mind constantly, driving out any other thoughts. And he had no answers, but he knew until he did, he could not make a decision on whether to accept Phichit’s proposal.

 

_December 9, 2016_

 

Yakov brought Victor his breakfast that morning instead of the usual staff, which immediately raised Victor’s suspicion. Yakov was a stickler for pomp and circumstance, and would consider it beneath his station to serve breakfast, even it was for the King. He decided to beat him to the punch, and speak first.

 

“Good morning Mr. Feltsman, it’s nice to have the pleasure of your company so early in the day.”

 

Yakov put down the tray and looked at Victor, a touch of amusement in his eyes as he realized Victor knew he had ulterior motives. “Yes, well, your Majesty, I was wondering if I could have a word,” he answered gruffly.

 

“Of course. You know that I am always open to conversing with any and all of the Palace staff. Is there something troubling you? Or is there a matter with the staff that needs my attention?”

 

“No sir. Nothing like that. Permission to speak freely? I’m afraid it’s rather personal.”

 

Ah, and there it is, Victor thought. Yakov had decided to weigh in on Phichit’s proposal, and actually... little beknownst to Yakov, his opinion would be very welcome. After all, he had served his father when the King actually exercised lawmaking and policy powers. Perhaps this insight would help Victor reach a conclusion. “Yes, of course, Mr. Feltsman. You know that your service has always been deeply valued by the Nikiforovs. I think I know what’s on your mind, and I believe that your counsel may be valuable. But if we are to have this conversation, I have one request - I don’t want you to hold anything back. Please, Yakov, if you are going to speak to the topic, speak honestly. If I am going to make the right decision, I need to hear the truth, even if I don’t like it. I can reassure you that there will be no repercussions if you have honest criticism of me. I know you are not a petty person, and I’ll take what you say in the spirit in which it’s meant.”

 

Yakov’s eyes widened at the use of his given name. Victor had always been careful to use formal language with the Palace staff as they seemed the most comfortable with it. But it was yet again a symbol of how removed, how different he was, and he was tired of the isolation. He just wanted to be seen as a person, wanted a connection with someone.

 

Yakov took a brief moment to absorb what Victor had said. He then looked up at Victor and said, “Alright, sir, I will take you at your word then, and speak honestly.”

 

Victor smiled at him, and indicated the chair at the other side of the table. “Then sit down please. This conversation could get long and even if not, you might as well be comfortable.”

 

Yakov looked slightly distressed at the idea, but settled down in the chair that Victor had indicated. Victor decided to break even more social rules. “Would you like anything Yakov? A coffee? Some water? That’s all we have here I’m afraid.”

 

His butler looked horrified, but quickly schooled his expression and straightened his spine. “Thank you, your Majesty, I will pour myself a coffee if that is acceptable.”

 

Victor smiled and pushed the extra cup and saucer towards him. He still didn’t understand why the staff always brought him two, though he supposed it was useful on occasion. He watched as Yakov poured himself a coffee with a grace that could only be achieved after years of careful practice. He settled back in his chair and waited for Yakov to begin.

 

After a few cautious sips, Yakov finally put his cup down and looked at Victor. “Sir, everyone is terrified. Not just in the Palace, but the common folk, the people… they are all absolutely terrified. No one knows what to do, or how to stop the government, though that is what they are all talking about. Everyone feels like Ruzka is now a dictatorship and that the government has betrayed them. They are like lost sheep, and they need a shepherd. They need a King, your Majesty. They need _you_.”

 

“But they don’t know me, Yakov,” Victor interjected. “How can they need me or even think they need me? I’m not exactly known to the public as a reliable or reputable person.”

 

Yakov heaved a big sigh, looking like he was bracing himself. “Well it’s true, your partying has done nothing to gain you respect with anyone. Nor have you exactly gone around showing the people your true capabilities, and you certainly don’t brag about your philanthropic work. But I know the tutoring that you have had, and we all know the amount of time you dedicate to your charities. You may not have had a legal guardian when your parents passed, but everyone looked to me for decision making and to report on your progress. You are far from stupid sir, this I know for certain. And despite the fact you’ve been wasting your intelligence for the last decade, the situation is far from irretrievable.”

 

Victor repressed the sigh that threatened to pass his lips on the mention of his ‘wasting his intelligence’ - it’s not like he had had much of a choice what direction his life took. Instead he chose to focus on the reason for Yakov’s visit. “So you think, then, that I should accept Mr. Chulanont’s proposal? Try and turn my image around and garner public support? ...it could very well end disastrously, you realize.”

 

Yakov nodded, looking somewhat relieved. Victor supposed Yakov had been nervous voicing any criticism of Victor, but Yakov needed to realize that Victor was much too self aware for that to bother him. He would rather face honesty than fake smiles and pandering any day.

 

“I realize that sir, but I also know the extent of your education, and where your talents lie. Your tutors always commended you for your quick grasp of political situations, and the ability to think strategically.” He paused, chuckling a bit, “You think that your history tutor grabbed random staff and played History of the World with you for fun, and to keep you company, but you’re wrong. That game not only helped you think critically and strategically, but it allowed them to check your progress. Your father’s greatest wish was that you would grow up to be a exceptional King, and make Ruzka great again.”

 

Victor frowned at that, confused. “But I don’t understand, Yakov. My father signed away the monarchy’s special constitutional powers. Why would he want me trained as if I would be exercising them?”

 

Yakov stilled, looking a bit unsettled. He cleared his throat and replied, “His Majesty King Maxim did what he had to do. You may not understand now, but I can assure you, he only had your best interests in mind.” Yakov looked at the floor a moment before continuing, “And one thing you may not know is that before his death he was working on a plan to reverse those changes to the constitution. He firmly believed, right up until his death, that you would be ruling this kingdom as a true King.” His speech concluded, Yakov clasped his hands together and placed them carefully on his knee, staring at the table between them and awaiting Victor’s response.

 

And... Victor didn’t have any idea how to respond. It was more information about his father than he’d ever received since his death. He knew his father loved him, but there was always something of a hesitation, something invisible that seemed to be between them. It was as if looking at Victor caused him deep pain and regret somehow, though Victor had no idea why that could be. Yes, he’d been born prematurely, and yes, Victor’s survival had been up in the air the first few weeks, but he had made it - not just made it, but thrived. So surely that couldn’t be the cause of his father’s distance. He’d never figured out the cause, never known how to get past the walls that his father had put between them to get to know the man better. Quite frankly, it had always made him think he was a disappointment to his father.

 

“You speak as though my father had confidence in me, but he never expressed that to me, either in words or actions. Truthfully, I don’t know what to make of what you just told me, Yakov. I believe you’re telling the truth, at least as you see it, but it’s hard to reconcile with my own memories.”

 

Yakov looked up at him then, hesitant but determined, a strange mix of fire and sorrow glinting in his gaze. “I know you weren’t as close to your father as you would have liked. And I think the same can be said to be true for him. For his own reasons, he had difficulty being close to you, though I know he desperately wanted to be. Some things may become more clear with time, but please trust me when I say he had the utmost confidence in your abilities.”

 

Victor took a deep, calming breath, slightly overwhelmed by the turn of the conversation. He certainly hadn’t expected Yakov to mention his father. “Well, regardless, that was fourteen years ago. That doesn’t help me now.”

 

“I respectfully disagree, sir. I think that you are sidestepping the point. The point is that you have been trained for this your entire life. While you may not have thought that you would ever take control of your kingdom, your entire upbringing has ensured that you are more than capable of the task. The Nikiforov family has always believed its people come first; that they reign only at the pleasure of their people. That is the foundation of the Monarchy. That is your heritage, and your future, your Majesty.”

 

“Victor,” the King interrupted. “Please call me Victor, Yakov. Or at the very least, King Victor. If we are being this open with each other I don’t want the formality between us. Please.”

 

“Oh...alright Sir. Ah, King Victor.” Yakov looked a bit discomfited at Victor’s request, but also proud.

 

Victor felt himself relax at Yakov’s agreement. He was so, so tired of being addressed by nothing but formal titles. No one used his name, except when they used the colloquial ‘King Victor’. Victor wanted nothing more than to be seen as a person, by someone, _anyone_ instead of ‘the King’. And he knew that his father had enjoyed a close relationship with Yakov - after all, the two were close in age and Yakov had worked in the Palace since just before his father had come of age. “Thank you, Yakov. If you are going to play the part of my trusted advisor, then I appreciate being seen as a person, not a title.”

 

At that Yakov looked up sharply. “Your advisor? You have advisors on staff.”

 

“Yes, I do. But they have not worked with the Nikiforov family as long as you have. They did not know my father as well as you did. I know that you and he had a friendship that went beyond just your station as Head Butler. I know he bounced advice off of you and shared things he may not have shared with his staff. He made a passing remark to my mother once about how mad the intelligence agency would be if they knew that his butler knew more state secrets than they did.” He held Yakov’s eyes with a piercing gaze, wanting to be sure that the man understood the importance of what he was saying. “He also said how lucky he was to have a confidante whose loyalty was not in any way tied to politics.”

 

Yakov looked uncomfortable at the last bit, but the pride that had shown itself earlier reasserted itself. “My loyalty has, is, and will always be to the Nikiforovs, King Victor. My loyalty has naught to do with the fact that yours is the royal family; rather my loyalty stems from the philosophy of the family, their values and their philanthropy. And that is why you _must_ follow through with Mr. Chulanont’s proposal. It’s time, King Victor. It’s time that you take back your kingdom. You can’t fail your people now, and I know you won’t.”

 

Victor leaned forward slightly at the last. He couldn’t disagree that Yakov’s words were compelling. “Ok then, Yakov, assuming that I do make a move, try to get my authority back… is Phichit’s plan the best plan? Is that the right thing to do? You do realize that he’s willing to resort to blackmail?”

 

Yakov flushed at the mention of blackmail, and if possible he straightened his spine even more. “I believe that in his speech Phichit made reference to the fact that he expected to uncover some crimes. I suspect that what he may uncover would give you absolutely no pause in using that information as leverage to have them agree to constitutional changes. I would not call that blackmail. I suspect that if it were to come to that, you would uncover some things that the Monarchists would be very, very loathe to be made public.”

 

“Oh, you have some idea of what Phichit was implying then?” Victor raised an eyebrow at Yakov.

 

“Oh.. uh… well, servants talk. And servants observe. And, well I don’t think this is the time to get into such matters -we can cross that bridge when we come to it.The pressing issue right now is whether you will agree to Mr. Chulanont’s proposal. And back to your original question, yes I do think his plan has merit. While I, myself, am not familiar with the ins and outs of social media, I think that his own success story says it all. It’s a veritable rags to riches story of politics. An unknown unseating the great Monarchist, Jeremy Ford in the riding that is one of bastions of the Monarchist’s voter base? And not just that, but he’s managed to _increase_ his popularity in his riding. Have you seen the latest approval ratings? Never mind, of course you have. But in all seriousness, political scientists will be studying his techniques for the next hundred years, of that I’m sure. So yes, I do believe that it is to your benefit to follow his plan.”

 

“And what about the man himself, Yakov? Can I trust him? Should I? How much can I rely on him?”

 

Yakov nodded at the King’s questions, obviously pleased. “After you spoke last week I requested your staff make some inquiries, and I made some of my own as well. I believe you can trust him, and that he is all that he seems. Staff did not find anything, and my own inquiries concluded that he is, by all accounts, discreet, level headed and incorruptible - despite the talk about blackmail, I believe he would only resort to that if he found out some serious wrongdoing. Also, we know from his campaign strategy that he has a very shrewd political mind. His only faults, if you want to name them that, are that he tends to be a little opinionated and outspoken. But I think in this case, both traits are to your advantage. There is also the fact that he is likely to be named the next leader of the Progressive Party. Whether the Monarchists win at the next election or not, the Progressives will be at the very least, the official opposition party, if not the minority party. To have him on your side, so to speak, would be invaluable for anything that you want to accomplish within the government.”

 

By the time Yakov had finished, Victor was smiling widely, though he resisted the urge to laugh outright, not wanting to offend the other man. He saw immediately why his father had chosen to place his trust in him - why he had sought out this man for his counsel, and why he had valued his opinion. Who else would be able to do such a character analysis before Victor had even realized it was necessary? And obviously, this was the kind of thing that servants and government workers would know since they were privy to gossip. As well, since there wasn’t an investigation open, it’s not like the intelligence agents could make any detailed inquiries. No, this was information better obtained from the man’s close associates and those who observed him in private, unguarded moments. Shutting down those thoughts for now, he focussed in on the information Yakov had collected. It almost sounded too good to be true, but he trusted his staff.

 

And sometimes, it was not a good idea to look a gift horse in the mouth.

 

Victor straightened in his chair and took a sip of his neglected coffee. “Ok then, you’ve convinced me. But despite Phichit’s determination and seeming belief he can coordinate this alone, we need someone else on board, someone preferably high placed in the government. Phichit might have his people, his contacts, but I need some of my own in the event we part ways or disagree. What are your thoughts, Yakov?”

 

“I told you that you are perfectly capable of doing this King Victor, and you just proved why. Yes, we definitely need our own ‘man on the ground’ so to speak. And I know exactly who.”

 

“Oh? Already? Don’t tell me you’ve already done the research on this in preparation for your discussion with me today.”

 

“No, nothing that presumptuous. It’s just that there is only one person who is in exactly the position we need and who has been rather vocal lately, albeit not publically, about returning the power to the Monarchy.”

 

“Well!? Don’t keep me in suspense! Who is it?”

 

“Yuuri Katsuki.”

 

“The Deputy Clerk of the Privy Council?” To say Victor was surprised at the suggestion was an understatement. Yuuri Katsuki was a powerhouse, and was the youngest ever to serve the role. The Privy Council was the civil arm of the government that housed the bureaucrats and the workers that carried out government policy. Yuuri was second in command of the Privy Council, and known for his efficiency and ability to get things done even under the impossible demands of the politicians. He was widely respected, and many said that he ruled the roost in truth; the Clerk of the Privy Council rested on his laurels while Yuuri carried the weight of everyone.

 

Yakov looked smug. “Yes, Mr. Katsuki. I’m quite confident that we can get him on board.”

 

“But how? He is famous for not accepting any sort of bribe or suggestion and refuses to meet with any politicians outside of formal, public meetings. It’s well known that he is dead set on doing his job without any sort of influence on how he carries out government policy.”

 

“You see, Victor, you protested that you were not fit for this, yet you obviously have kept up on everything that is important in government. You really have no need to doubt yourself. But back to Mr. Katsuki, I believe I can arrange a meeting. He may refuse politicians and lobbyists, but you are neither. It may take a few days, but I believe it can be done. I suggest you do not giveMr. Chulanont an answer until we have our own person in place, which hopefully won’t take too long.”

 

“Ok then, Yakov, I will await my meeting with Mr. Katsuki before proceeding further. And quite honestly, I look forward to meeting him. His reputations preceeds him, so to speak.”

 

“I’m sure you won’t be disappointed, King Victor. If even half of what is said about him is true, he is quite the man, indeed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear they meet next chapter :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri meets with Victor and thinks maybe meeting his idol wasn’t a good idea, and gives Victor a *talking to*.
> 
> Victor is entranced.

Victor spent the next few days thinking long and hard on what Yakov had told him. It did make sense, that he had been educated as if he would rule the kingdom. Since he’d always had private tutors, he’d thought that the content of his lessons was the same as in the general school system - at least everything that wasn’t specific to the military. But he realized that it did seem that he had had to spend an inordinate amount of time studying history and old civilizations. However, even if he had been aware his education had been different, he wouldn’t have attributed it to anything but tradition if Yakov had not mentioned his father.

 

His father, the famous yet infamous King Maxim, who had signed away his family’s power in what seemed like such an easy act. He had been celebrated for it by some who thought that a monarchy did not belong in the modern world, no matter how benevolent, but was despised by many who felt that he was abandoning his people. Regardless of the truth, he died too young, only 49 years old. And if Yakov was to be believed, he was working to reverse the constitutional changes at the time of his death.

 

It all made a certain amount of sense, and he could see that Yakov deeply believed that what he had told him was the truth, although it seemed to Victor that some of the pieces were missing. But even if that had been his father’s intention, how did that help Victor now? It didn’t change Victor’s uncertainty about whether he could actually pull this off, and worse, if he did pull it off, was he capable of ruling? He might have had the tutoring, but that was no substitute for real life experience.

 

For now though, he would shove the doubt of his own abilities to the side and focus on what was most important - his people - and ensuring that they were not pulled into a needless war. With that goal firmly front and centre, Victor knew that he could muster the determination, and perhaps more importantly, the courage, to do what needed to be done.

 

_December 12, 2016_

 

True to his word, Yakov had managed to secure a meeting the following Monday with the Deputy Clerk. Victor wasn’t that surprised - it seemed that Yakov had eyes and ears everywhere and a very, very long reach. It was quick work, which meant either Yakov was more influential, than he had imagined, or Yuuri was as anxious to meet Victor as he was him. It could be both, he mused, as he waited in the small parlour for Yuuri.

 

Instead of the comfortable wingback chair from which he usually entertained guests, he had chosen to sit at a smaller table for the meeting, with a traditional afternoon tea set up nearby. He had never met Yuuri, but wanted to make sure that he was at ease. He was known to be a man who was not easily intimidated, and if his reputation was accurate, he would be downright insulted if Victor tried to intimidate him using his status. So instead, he followed his normal practice when meeting with a member of his personal staff, rather than a more formal meeting he would have with members of the military.

 

The decision appeared to be a good one, as upon entering the room Yuuri looked at the arrangement and nodded slightly. Yakov followed him in, and closed the doors silently, giving them some privacy. While he trusted his staff, until things were more decided he did not want the staff gossiping. Yakov, of course was an exception, as he needed the other man’s objective observations and counsel following the meeting. It was funny, he thought, how the two had become like co-conspirators - whereas just weeks before he could have sworn that Yakov only put up with him because he had to. But since their conversation, Yakov had begun to warm up to Victor, and Victor had carefully encouraged him, welcoming the chance to have someone he could truly talk to for the first time since the deaths of his parents.

 

He did not stand up to greet Yuuri, but he greeted him warmly and indicated the seat across from him. “Mr. Katsuki, I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure of meeting you before, but your excellent work within the Privy Council is well known.”

 

He bowed low in response to Victor’s greeting, but his gaze was sharp, and Victor started to lose a bit of confidence. “I appreciate the sentiment, but flattery will get you nowhere, your Majesty,” he said firmly but respectfully, then straightened and took the seat across from him. Victor studied him as Yakov served him beverage of choice - tea, surprisingly. Yuuri Katsuki was striking. He was taller than Yakov, and looked to be athletic. His hair was short, and he styled his dark brown locks slicked back, away from his face. He had caramel brown eyes, a strong brown with a hint of reddish gold that softened his otherwise cold countenance. A slight blush rested across his cheeks, which his large chunky blue glasses did nothing to hide. Victor’s gaze lowered to his lips, which he now had pressed together in a straight line having noticed Victor staring, leaving Victor a little discomfited at having been caught. Unsurprisingly, Yuuri was the first to break the silence.

 

“Your Majesty, Mr. Feltsman has informed me that you have something of ‘utmost importance’ that you wanted to discuss. I don’t wish to be rude, but I would appreciate it if we could get right to business. Unfortunately the government doesn’t run itself, and with the current political climate, there is a lot for me to oversee.”

 

Victor could see right away that he wasn’t taking him seriously, and had likely just accepted the invitation to humour Yakov. He silently cursed his reputation. Although in the past it hardly seemed it would have mattered, it was beginning to look like he really had done himself no favours by being indolent these past years. But he had a better understanding of the man before him now, and knew that he would be the most responsive if he was succinct, truthful and unflinching. With that in mind, he started in on the topic at hand.

 

“Alright, Mr. Katsuki, I will keep this as brief as possible since I do respect your time. First though, I need your reassurance that what we will discuss here will remain confidential.”

 

Yuuri nodded slowly. “Yes, I had anticipated that, since you wished for me to come to the Palace. Barring discussion regarding a serious crime such as rape or murder, I am prepared to keep our discussion confidential.”

 

“I can assure you, what I intend to discuss is purely in the political realm.” Victor paused to take in Yuuri’s reaction. He looked unsurprised, though a little dubious.

 

Victor took a deep breath and continued, “As background, I want to assure you that I am quite up to speed with what is happening in the international sphere, not just with Fleodal, but the positions of other countries as well. Although I am not privy to much more than is in the public sphere, I have recently spoken with Phichit Chulanont, and he informed me about the situation regarding President Powell mobilizing Fleodal’s armed forces. In essence, we are on a direct course to war, and a world war at that.”

 

“You may be questioning what that has to do with why I called you here, since currently I have no law or policy making powers, and my leadership of the military is limited by the direction of Parliament.” Yuuri nodded in acknowledgement, and Victor continued, “That is the same line of questioning I had for Mr. Chulanont when he came to speak to me at the beginning of December. Mr. Chulanont came to me with a proposal, Mr. Katsuki, one that I have considered at length, and have concluded that is the best path forward for the people of Ruzka. But in order to implement his plan, we need your help.”

 

Victor held his hand up for silence as Mr. Katsuki began to interrupt. He needed to keep control of the conversation if he was going to convince him to take him seriously. “In short, Mr. Chulanont wants to reverse the amendments King Maxim made to the Constitution, and he wants me to once again lead Ruzka as a king should.” He paused a moment, letting him take in the statement, noting Yuuri’s raised eyebrows and the doubt written all over his face.

 

“I understand, Mr. Katsuki, that it seems impossible, and that my current reputation would dictate that I am not fit to rule as King. However, I want to assure you that despite the changes made by my father, he ensured that I had the knowledge and skills to reign as a proper king, not as a dictatorship, but with the constitutional powers the Nikiforov family has had since the inception of the _Constitution Act_. And, of course, most importantly, from the time I was born, I have been taught that the Nikiforovs exist to serve and guide their people. This has been instilled into my very soul, and it is something that I will never, _never_ be able to reject or turn away from. My duty to my people will always be the driving force of my life, and that duty will always come first and foremost.”

 

“So when Mr. Chulanont came to me trying to convince me that it was time to take back my Kingdom and do what needs to be done to avoid war for the good of Ruzka’s people, I could not look away, nor pretend I hadn’t heard. Since that conversation I have made some inquiries, and consulted with certain trusted staff, and come to the conclusion that Mr. Chulanont's plan on how to accomplish such a thing is the one most likely to succeed. But before I continue and explain the details of that plan, I would like to hear your thoughts on what I’ve said so far, and answer any questions you may have, Mr. Katsuki.”

 

“Please, call me Yuuri, your Majesty. We don’t stand on formality within the Privy Council, and hearing ‘Mr. Katsuki’ makes me feel like you’re addressing my father or grandfather.”

 

Victor chuckled, “Ok, Yuuri, if you will do me the favour of calling me King Victor.”

 

Yuuri nodded, and sat for a minute gathering his thoughts. He finally spoke, his tone neutral but sure, “King Victor, I won’t lie - I am quite aware of Phichit’s plan. In fact, it is a plan that we arrived at together. Not many are aware of this - although I’m sure Yakov knows - but Phichit and I are actually best friends. We were roommates in university, but for professional reasons, we do not let our friendship be known. Neither of us wants to fend off accusations of undue influence - either his on me or mine on him.”

 

Victor’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. He would have to ask Yakov about that little… omission … later.

 

“However, what I _am_ surprised about, and disappointed too I might add, is that it has taken you this long to come to a decision and make a commitment to acting,” Yuuri chastised. “I know that you needed to think this through, but now is not the time to be hesitant. None of us has the time for that.” Victor frowned at the rebuke, unused to receiving any sort of criticism.

 

“As you said,” Yuuri continued, “we are on the brink of war. The people are living daily in fear, and the government seems oblivious to both the public’s unrest and the possibility that we might not win. As Deputy Clerk, I have a clear understanding of our finances and our resources, including military resources. I have a masters in Political Science, and I can say in no uncertain terms that if we go to war, things look very bleak. The Monarchists, and especially Prime Minister LeRoy, seem to think that our former colonies will come to our aide as they have in the past, but the word from the government workers that are in our foreign embassies paints a very different picture. I don’t know what the ambassadors have been telling the politicians, but the reality is we very well could be on our own.”

 

Yuuri paused to take a sip of tea, his fierce gaze never leaving Victor. “King Victor,” he continued, “I will be honest with you. Ruzka as it is now has no future.” Yuuri delivered the statement with a voice that didn’t waver, a voice that knew that the irrefutable truth was being spoken. And Victor despaired. He had hoped the situation wasn’t quite that desperate, though he suspected from Phichit’s desperation that it might be. But Yuuri wasn’t done yet.

 

“We will be destroyed.”

 

Now, finally, Yuuri hesitated, seemingly reluctant to continue. Victor braced himself, knowing what he was about to say was the last thing any monarch ever wanted to hear.

 

“Your people will die. Your cities will become the graveyard of a nuclear attack. There will be nothing left, save the mines to the north, which can be strategically avoided while destroying the rest of Ruzka. Any hope of resurrecting the Kingdom will be gone, and we will all die with it. President Powell is just that crazed, and he’s managed to raise the ire of his own people enough that the advice coming from his experienced advisors and his government aren’t being heard. Quite frankly, Fleodal has been in an internal crisis for some time, on the brink of a civil war, and President Powell is using this witch hunt against Ruzka to focus his citizens’ anger elsewhere. So though crazed, like any true madman, there is a frightening amount of intelligence underneath it all.”

 

“So yes, I will help you. Because quite frankly, even if this wasn’t our plan to begin with, I don’t see any other choice at this point.”

 

Victor took deep, careful breathes for a minute, absorbing what Yuuri had said. He had painted a much worse picture than Phichit had, and now he understood Phichit’s sense of urgency. He waslimited in what his own intelligence agents could do, so it was hard to get a full appreciation of the situation like he had now.

 

“Yuuri, I want to reiterate, I _will do what I have to do_  for my people. This is absolutely NOT about getting more power or money or control. Especially with what you have just told me, I just can’t turn my back on my people. They can’t suffer for the greed that has infested Parliament. I HAVE TO stop this.”

 

Yuuri looked at him appraisingly. “Perhaps, King Victor,” he murmured, “you really are capable of being our ace in the hole. I think our plan has a real chance of success - or at least a better chance than anything else I’ve tried to come up with. Give me a couple of days to line things up - I need to identify some key staff we can rely on that I know that can be trusted. Then we can connect with Phichit and start putting the plan in action.”

 

~~~~~~

 

Yuuri held his posture straight, his old ballet training kicking in automatically as he exited the Palace, trying not to give staff any sort of indication of why he had been requested to attend the King. Or more importantly, what his reaction to his summons and resulting conversation was.

 

Inside he was seething with all sorts of emotions that he would need to sort out the second he was able to find some privacy. The most important of which, and one he could let slip now, was how _annoying_ King Victor was. Or maybe frustrating was a better word. Despite everything, King Victor seemed to be truly unaware of the influence he had, or _could_ have if he just let himself try. He shook his head. Victor’s speech had been pretty and impassioned in its own way, but he really had no idea just how much of an audience that speech would have if he’d just _try_ talking to his people or expressing any sort of political opinion. At least the King had come to the right decision in the end, even though it had taken him an extraordinary amount of time. And it seemed, at the end, that he had finally grasped the seriousness of the situation. Or more accurately, how utterly hopeless the situation was.

 

He inhaled the fresh air deeply as he finally made it out of the Palace and into the crisp winter afternoon. The cold was bracing, but it did its job and cooled the anger that had been simmering beneath his skin since he realized the King was not proceeding with the haste that the situation demanded. The old adage that you shouldn’t meet your idols came to mind, and he wondered if he was going to live the truth of that old saying.

 

He sincerely hoped not.

 

For he hadn’t lied to the King. Ruzka’s destruction was a very real possibility. He’d run scenario after scenario and if nothing changed the outcome was almost a certainty a this point. They’d simply traveled too far along this path before people had finally thought to sound the alarm.

 

He shook his head ruefully. He had been worried for a while and had tried his best to let those who might be able to change the direction of things know. But it seemed everyone was caught up in Prime Minister LeRoy’s “JJ style” politics. Well, now they were at the point where JJ style was going to be the last current fashion in Ruzka.

 

But… perhaps if the King was going to take things seriously they might now stand a chance at preventing the worst from coming to pass. Ruzka was still in for a rough time, there was no getting around that. Especially in repairing the damage done to their international reputation. But at least if they could avoid an all out war, they would survive. With that thought foremost in his mind, Yuuri got in his car and stopped at his favourite coffee shop before heading back to his office. It was going to be a long day.

 

And it was only Monday.

 

~~~~~~

 

The moment Yuuri left, Victor exhaled deeply, his emotions roiling for reasons he couldn’t even begin to enumerate, and some he wasn’t yet willing to admit to. He put his head in his hands, and just let himself breathe, willing his heart rate to come down to a more normal pace. He stayed that way for a blissful few minutes before Yakov cleared his throat.

 

“King Victor,” Yakov addressed him in a voice that was obviously an attempt to soften his usual gruff manner.

 

“Yes, Yakov, express your thoughts freely,” Victor replied to the unexpressed question, though his reply was somewhat muffled through his hands.

 

“I know that was disturbing to hear. And perhaps the delivery a bit dramatic,” he added, looking for the world as if he was struggling not to roll his eyes, “but if anyone has an accurate assessment of the current situation it would be Mr. Katsuki, sir. It seems we need to act with more haste than we’d originally thought.”

 

“Yes, Yakov, I think that Mr. Katsuki made that point abundantly clear,” Victor replied sardonically, as he straightened up to talk to Yakov properly.

 

“I think we will have to have another look at things. You’re going to need more staff, or at least staff reassigned to make sure that you’re covered properly for your engagements. And we might need more security staff since you’re going to be rising in popularity, and the kitchen needs to be informed of new expectations, and we’ll need to talk to the media people…” Yakov petered out, still obviously talking to himself as he paced to and fro.

 

“Yes, Yakov, and I will leave those details to you. If you’ll excuse me, I have some other things to attend to.” Victor had interrupted Yakov and he knew very well Yakov _knew_ that he had nothing in his calendar, but he had an urgent need to be by himself, to consider what had happened and just process the whole situation.

 

Yakov nodded respectfully, silent at last, and bowed as Victor made his escape with as much dignity as he could manage.

 

On his way to his room he let himself begin to parse out what had happened earlier.

 

He had been treated with almost derision.

 

He had been a disappointment.

 

He had failed to grasp the true time sensitivity of the situation.

 

He had not acted like a leader.

 

But more… he had not acted like a _king_.

 

Yet…

 

Yet… Yuuri gave him a chance.

 

Yuuri had said he could be the ace in the hole. Yuuri still thought he could do it.

 

Yuuri believed in him. Maybe. … Probably? Yakov seemed to at least.

 

When was the last time someone had believed in him? Truly believed in him? As in actually thought he could do something difficult if he but tried? Victor didn’t know, his memories of his parents still tinged with teenaged angst. His mother had always been there for him, but what were her expectations, really? She knew he’d never be a true king. So was she just being indulgent with her only son? He would never know…

 

He reached his suite with a sigh of relief and entered, closing the doors with a resounding thud behind him. This was the one place he was able to be truly who he was, to escape his legacy or embrace it, depending on his mindset at the time. It was the one place no one connected with politics could enter.

 

He immediately stripped out of his clothes and entered the shower, letting the feel of the hot water pounding on his back cleanse him of unwanted thoughts and help him focus. Once he was finished, he towelled himself off carefully, applying his favourite moisturizing products that out of pure habit. He dressed quickly in sweatpants and made his way back to his bedroom, collapsing on his bed with the sheer weight of the last few days.

 

He had never been believed in before.

 

He had never been relied on before.

 

Could he do it? Could he be what everyone expected?

 

He couldn’t deny his heart. And his heart said _yes_. His heart said let’s fix everything and bring Ruzka back to what it should be.

 

As he thought back to his meeting earlier his thoughts couldn’t help but wander back to Yuuri. He’d never been spoken to quite like that before. Yuuri had been both critical, but expectant, and above all, unafraid to express his true thoughts. In short, Yuuri had treated him like a person, not a king. It was a novelty in a lot of ways, but most of all, it was a refreshing change. To think that someone had looked at _him_ and had spoken to _Victor_ , not to ‘the King’ was something almost never experienced, and certainly not from someone he was unfamiliar with.

 

Yuuri had surprised him.

 

A rare feat these days, and certainly a welcome one. Victor couldn’t help himself as he thought back to their meeting, and contemplated the man himself. Yuuri was compelling, both in personality and in his beauty. The fire in his eyes, his strong features, and lean physique… he was a sight to behold, surely. He must have danced, or still danced, Victor thought. To have such a posture and presence and quiet strength… the combination… was stunning. And then added to that his obvious intelligence, the command he had over people when he spoke, and no-nonsense attitude… well… Victor was done for. Yuuri was exactly the type of partner he’d dreamed about and never thought he’d ever be able to find.

 

Who was he kidding? Yuuri was way out of his league. He’d never be interested in someone like Victor. Someone who had wasted his life and opportunities. Yuuri had made it pretty clear how disappointed he’d been in Victor.

 

But maybe. Maybe he could redeem himself. Maybe he could become someone worthy of Yuuri. Through their plan he could prove himself, set himself on the right path. Even if it never meant anything to Yuuri, even if it never came to anything, he would still do it. Because unless he tried, he never _would_ be worthy of Yuuri.

 

~~~~~~

 

The crack of a beer being opened echoed in Yuuri’s kitchen as Phichit turned from the fridge to where Yuuri was seated at the eating bar.

 

“So???? Don’t leave me in suspense! How did your meeting go with our illustrious King?” Phichit asked, curiosity burning within.

 

“Better than we thought, actually,” Yuuri responded, though avoided looking Phichit in the eye. “I… uh… I won’t lie, I got a little irritated with him and let him know. I may have spoken a bit out of turn.”

 

“Oh, slap! You did _not_ give him the infamous Yuuri Katsuki ‘you know better than that’ speech?” Phichit asked. Then, observing Yuuri’s expression more closely added, “…or did you?”

 

“Well, um, kinda?” Yuuri responded a little on the sheepish side. “I mean it irritated the piss out of me that he’s been taking so much time ‘deciding’ while his kingdom lurches closer and closer to war. We don’t have time for an idle, privileged aristocrat to decide whether or not he’ll take up our cause as a hobby. We need commitment, Phichit! We need someone who won’t hesitate to do what needs to be done.”

 

Yuuri paused, draining half of the beer he’d been nursing. He shook his head, considering. “But despite that, Phichit, I still think we’re on the right path. There’s potential there. There’s a quiet intelligence that could be more if he’s given the right circumstances, the right motivation. I don’t know what happened to him to make him suppress himself like that, but I hope he can get over it for the sake of our kingdom.”

 

Phichit nodded. “You can see what I was trying to explain. I can’t dismiss him, there’s definitely more to him than meets the eye. I think really, it’s untapped potential. He hasn’t really had a chance in his life to show what he’s made of. So maybe he just needs the opportunity to push himself.” Phichit puffed out a breath. “This isn’t exactly a situation that I’d want to be experimenting with. But still, I think it’s our best hope. And really, right now, I’m willing to try anything.”

 

Yuuri nodded. “I agree. We need to give him a chance. Maybe what we need to do is focus on guiding him. He didn’t freak out or anything when I scolded him, so maybe if we approach the situation by giving him advice - little nudges in the right direction - we can help him through it. He doesn’t seem so out of touch with reality that he’d ignore our advice.”

Phichit was silent while he focused on scooping the perfect amount of guacamole onto a tortilla chip from the bowl on the counter. Finally satisfied, he popped the chip in his mouth before answering Yuuri. “It’s going to be a difficult balancing act giving him instruction while deferring to him as King. We’re going to have to accept that he might not always agree with our recommendations and as our King, we have to defer to his decisions. You’re not particularly good with people not listening to your advice Yuuri, are you sure you’d be ok with it? Or do you want me to be the main contact?”

 

Yuuri burst out laughing. “Are you calling me bossy, Phichit????”

 

Phichit broke into a huge grin. “What, Yuuri Katsuki, bossy? Why I’d never expect such a shy, polite young man would be described as such.”

 

Yuuri hit him on the shoulder, the good natured banter welcome after such a serious discussion. “I think I can manage to listen to my _King_ , Phichit!” he retorted rolling his eyes. “I’m not THAT bossy.”

 

Phichit grinned back at him, eyes sparkling, “Oh, I don’t know about that Yuuri… something tells me that by the end of this you’ll have him at your beck and call, just like you do everyone else…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter Monday :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victor experiments with Instagram and plots with Phichit and Yuuri.
> 
> #Victory4thePeople

Unsurprisingly, Yakov had been busy after the meeting with Yuuri. He had rearranged a bunch of staff and had set about hiring some additional people. He had also, Victor noticed, arbitrarily booked a bunch of meet and greets and ceremonies for Victor to attend. Ahhh… Yakov, he thought, keeping details from him again.

 

He’d confronted Yakov later that day about keeping secret the fact that Yuuri and Phichit were friends. Yakov had just blustered through the conversation completely unfazed and unapologetic, much to Victor’s chagrin. Victor knew that Yakov had some sort of ulterior motive, but no matter how much he needled, cajoled, or even demanded imperiously, Yakov just stuck to his “oh, I must have let it slip my mind, I’m so sorry, your Majesty.”

 

Victor grumbled to himself in frustration. After all, if they were going to trust him to do this, it was hardly conducive to trust if relevant information was being withheld.

 

However, Victor managed to keep his frustration with Yakov in check, and while waiting to hear from Yuuri, he and Yakov took a good look at Victor’s now-updated calendar and the charities he sponsored to see what was coming up to highlight his charity work and allow him some opportunities to nab some photos for Instagram. He was actually very involved with his charities and took his patronage very seriously, but it was never something he had highlighted on his social media, and nothing that particularly made the press. He had in the past preferred to keep these events low key so that he could focus on the people he was trying to help, rather than feed the media who were always looking for the best twist on the story.

 

But after talking to Phichit, not to mention the less than gentle rebuke from Yuuri, he realized how these were missed opportunities, and that he had been approaching it all wrong to begin with. Using social media, he had a chance to make it his own narrative, and not one that was completely at the whim of the media. While previously he would have viewed doing such a thing as opportunistic, he now realized that if handled correctly, that wasn’t the case at all. Indeed, a well planned social media presence could allow him to focus the stories on the people he was helping, rather than himself. In fact, he need not even appear in the photos or explain why he was there. Instead, his social media accounts could act as free advertising, highlighting the issues that were important to him.

 

He had spent hours reviewing Phichit’s social media accounts and reading up on articles written by political analysts to understand exactly how it was that Phichit worked his social media. Although he couldn’t say exactly how… it was obviously a very special talent that Phichit himself had… but it seemed one of the key ingredients to his successful campaigns was selecting the right hashtag. Something simple, easily remembered but yet had impact. Victor knew that this was probably going to be one of the most important things that Phichit would be able to help Victor with.

 

And he now especially understood why Phichit had said that he would plant people as spectators to photograph him and post the images. If it wasn’t coming from him, but the people, that also helped shape the narrative that he wanted to tell. And again, that took away the narrative from media outlets and from politicians, and put it in the hands of Ruzka’s people. Or at least it would appear to at the outset. Even though some of the photos would be uploaded by Phichit’s people, Phichit had assured him that such images quickly became embraced by the common person, and once people knew it was ok to post that sort of photo of the King, more would follow suit, and they would be completely candid.

 

With this in mind, Victor had posted a couple of photos as ‘one year ago’ memories of events that he had attended the previous year. He had kept these photos private, for his own enjoyment, but thought sharing them would be a good way to test the waters of public opinion.

 

The first photo he shared was a photo from a visit he had made to a facility called Mountainview Lodge that took care of war veterans and their disabled children. It was one of his favourite places to visit, though he was always saddened to see the injured vets. The children, though, were always a source of joy, and always had so much optimism and love of life. It was impossible to be sad with the sound of children’s laughter ringing in your ear. The particular photo he selected was one of himself, a service dog, and a war vet who was an amputee, and he was astounded by the number of likes the photo received. In a matter of hours it had received over 5,000 likes, and he had over 1,000 new followers. The photo was posed, rather than a candid as Phichit had suggested, and he didn’t caption it or add hashtags, but even then it proved Phichit’s point. He had been so busy wallowing in his self pity he hadn’t realized that people were actually interested in him, and wanted to see more of how he spent his time.

 

The second group of photos he shared were three candid photos from the same visit. He didn’t have many candids, and none of them good, so he had canvassed his staff, and sure enough, the staff person from his media relations group who had been on duty that day had taken some great photos. The three photos he selected were all very different. The first was a photo of him kneeling by a boy in a wheelchair, smiling up at him and presenting him with a puppy who was obviously trying hard to escape to get to the boy. The boy’s name was Alex, he recalled, and the puppy was to be trained to be his service dog. It had been such a privilege to share that moment with him, to see the wonder and joy reflected in the faces of both boy and puppy. This time he decided to see how captions and hashtags would be received. He hashtagged that one ‘#firstmeeting#friendsforlife #servicedog #MountainviewLodge’.

 

The next photo was just a photo of a service dog caught in the midst demonstrating opening a door for its person. He captioned it ‘service dogs hard at work!’ and included the #friendsforlife and #servicedog #MountainviewLodge hashtags. The last was a long distance shot of himself walking with several staff of the facility, and at the time they had been explaining what improvements they had made to the facility the past year, and what improvements were on their wish list. This one he captioned ‘Always doing great things for our vets and their children. Thank you for your service!’ and added the hashtags #thankyou #MountainviewLodge.

 

He had posted the second group of photos around noon on Tuesday, the day after meeting with Yuuri, and didn’t check his notifications until that night before he went to bed. When he did, he was completely overwhelmed by the response. Apparently his phone had given up on individual notifications. When he opened his Instagram account he saw he had over 50,000 likes between the three photos and 15,000 new followers.He wasn’t even going to look at the comments as there were way too many to read. He knew his media relations team kept a constant watch on his social media, and they would provide a summary of the comments and highlight any that stood out, whether good or bad.

 

He laughed to himself. He bet they were thrilled they finally had to do something other than prevent drunken photos of himself from showing up on the internet. And he, himself, was excited; he had never imagined how freeing it would be to take control of his own story, his own life.

 

Despite his excitement and the results of his first foray into social media, both of which made his thoughts rampage in his head, he forced himself to sleep. Yuuri had contacted him late that afternoon to say he had found reliable staff, and Yakov had arranged a meeting with himself, Yuuri and Phichit the next morning just before lunch.

 

_December 14, 2016_

 

This time Victor decided that he would not be present when his guests entered the room; instead, he would let them talk for a few minutes on their own and see how they interacted. He had asked Yakov to be in the parlour prior to their arrival and remain in the room to serve the refreshments and let other footmen handle escorting. Of course, he really just wanted someone to listen in on them and hopefully catch some candid comments. Yakov was a master at being invisible while in plain sight, a skill apparently necessary for all household staff within the Palace, Yakov had told him. Victor needed to be sure that he could trust Yuuri and Phichit before he embarked on this course of action in earnest, and every opportunity he had to learn more about his co-conspirators the better.

 

He entered the room five minutes past the appointed time, apologizing and using a phone call as an excuse. His first impression is that the two looked quite comfortable with each other, and Victor was reassured. Neither looked at all nervous or that they had some sort of hidden agenda.

 

Both immediately rose and bowed at his entrance. “Thank you both for coming at such short notice. I understand that you both have other commitments which keep your schedules full.” Victor at down in his favourite chair, having chosen his preferred spot for the meeting. As soon as he sat, Yakov approached, serving Victor his coffee before turning to serve the others. He used the time to study his guests further. Yuuri looked calm, and entirely comfortable in his surroundings, as if it was nothing to be having a personal audience with the King and be served by the Head Butler. Phichit, on the other hand, looked rather frazzled, and was scrolling through his phone with a frown marring his normally cheerful features.

 

It was interesting, he thought, that Yuuri’s demeanour had changed so much from their last meeting. Before he had been openly skeptical, a bit aggressive, and almost hostile at first, even though after hearing him out he had been more congenial. He supposed the change made sense though. Yuuri was a man, who, once his mind was made up, embraced his decisions and wholly committed to them. It was this surety in his decisions that had allowed him to succeed in his job, moving up the civil ranks to his current position with unprecedented speed. It was fortunate that Victor had won him over, despite being chastised for his hesitance. Yuuri was more than capable and had the resources to ensure that everything on the civil side of the government was handled, both as far as any necessary paperwork, but also ensuring that their endeavour had the staff support it needed. As well, looking long term, if their plan worked, he would need to have the support of the government administration if he managed to succeed in getting his constitutional powers back.

 

Once the two had been properly served, and Yakov was back at his post by the wall, Victor came straight to the point. “Phichit, I have decided the time has come to act, as you suggested, and I have also decided that your suggested course of action is the best option - at the moment, anyway. I had initially approached Yuuri as I believe that if this plan is to be successful, I will need the support of the civil arm of the government if I am going to truly rule Ruzka. He can also assist with drafting the necessary documents, and making sure that all the changes are made according to the letter of the law. As well, the media relations group for the government is housed within the administration as you know, so we will have access to the government’s media people as well as my own staff. But I’m sure you’re already aware of this, since subsequent to our last meeting I have learned that Yuuri was already part of the plan.”

 

“Uh, yes… thank you, your Majesty. I appreciate you bringing Yuuri into the fold yourself; his support and his staff’s assistance will be invaluable,” Phichit responded a nit sheepishly, clearly still nervous and unsure as to what to expect from Victor.

 

“Phichit, please call me King Victor. We are going to be working together, after all, so no need to be as formal.” Victor smiled at Phichit, hoping to thaw things between them at least a bit after their last meeting and its somewhat acrimonious ending.

 

“Thank you… King Victor. I had had the idea, or at least the hope, that you might have been giving my proposal serious consideration after you posted those photos from your visit to Mountainview Lodge. I was also happy to see that you got quite a positive response. Has your media team done any analysis of the responses to your posts?”

 

Victor frowned. “No - I’m not sure entirely what you mean. What type of analysis could they or should they do?”

 

“Well, someone should be monitoring your comments, making note of the general consensus, and any particular things that come up, both positive and negative. For example, was there an aspect about a photo that was particularly commented on? Were there any government policies or other political issues referred to? Also, they can look at who commented and who liked your photos and try and see what the demographic is. Obviously, the younger generations are by far and away the larger users of social media, but what exact segment? Who is following you? Is there a commonality in political affiliation or any other affiliation? Once we learn that we can start to tweak your posts to appeal to more segments, and also make sure that you are not isolating any particular or large segments of the population.”

 

This was amazing. Victor had never thought about the kinds of analytics that could be done in respect of public reaction to a single photograph. He noted that Yuuri looked not just impressed but proud too, and he ended up speaking first.

 

“That’s really fascinating, Phichit. Although I knew you put a lot of thought in your media campaigns, it didn’t occur to me that research of that depth could be done. I think in particular the ministers would be very keen to have that information, especially the Minister of Environment and the Education Minister. Obviously the Ministry of Trade and Foreign Affairs would find it quite useful as well in our current situation. And… actually, that could help this plan of yours quite a bit. That sort of data would show the sway in public opinion as the King begins to gain support. It would show the Monarchists which segments they start losing support from for their policies. That is really quite brilliant! I knew you were quite the social media master, but I hadn’t realized that so much went behind it.”

 

“Thanks, Yuuri,” Phichit replied, looking pleased. “You may not know, King Victor, but my degree is a double major in Political Science and Sociology with a minor in Statistics. A lot of people assume that I studied only politics, but that’s not the case at all. My desire to enter politics stems from my love of the study of people, of social systems. And although it certainly helped with my campaign, where it really is put to good use in understanding some of the issues Ruzka’s people face, and what changes to our social systems need to be made.”

 

“I hope you don’t mind, Phichit,” Victor interjected, “but I’d like to make good use of that knowledge - both now, and when I can finally vote in Parliament. The Monarchist’s policies have had quite an impact on the economic health of Ruzka, and I am sure that in turn that has impacted the people.” Victor paused, considering, “But, that is a conversation we should have _after_ we are successful. So, as far as the analytics go, do you do that yourself?”

 

“Oh, no, of course not, not since getting elected. I would love to since I love working with data, but I don’t have that kind of time. I have instructed the Progressive Party’s media team on how to do that type of research, and they do it on behalf of all our party members.” He side-eyed Yuuri. “And… we do it for LeRoy, Plisetsky, and a few other Ministers of the more high profile ministries. It helps us pinpoint where the Monarchist’s weak points are so that we can exploit those in question period.”

 

Yuuri looked over at him and just started laughing. “ _Of course_ you’d already be doing that. I should have known. Ok... so we need to get back on track, as I have a meeting I can’t miss and it’s hard enough as it is preventing people from figuring out I’ve been meeting with the King. So, what is the next step, oh great Phichit, the king of social media?”

 

Phichit smiled widely at the appellation, clearly happy that someone appreciated his rather specialized skill, and enjoying the ribbing that only best friends could dish.

 

“Well, first thing is that we need to figure out what possibilities there are for charity events or visits such as the one to Mountainview Lodge that King Victor recently posted about. So we should review your calendar, King Victor, and make a list of potential photo opportunities.”

 

Victor gestured to Yakov, who moved from the wall, grabbing a nearby folder on the way. “Mr. Feltsman and I have already done so, and this what we came up with.”

 

Phichit took the offered folder and perused its contents for a moment. “May I take this?” Victor nodded. “Thank you. I would like to check on the availability of a few people, as well as review any planned news releases coming from the government, so that we can make sure the timing is to our advantage. I will get back to you later, probably tonight, on the best opportunities, as well as with some suggestions for things to do during these events to maximize the photo ops.”

 

“Wow! So soon?”

 

“Yes. King Victor, as I had mentioned during our last meeting, time is of the essence. We need to take advantage of every day, every second in order to avoid this war. It was good that you already got started on posting so that it doesn’t seem too much like it came out of nowhere.” Phichit paused, taking a sip of coffee, and looked a little hesitant to continue. “I hate to be presumptuous, but would it be possible for your media team to contact one of my people? I have one person in particular that I can trust with confidential matters like these.” He sighed and looked down. “I need to be perfectly honest with you. Your media team is ineffectual. You wouldn’t even have the reputation you do if your public presence was properly monitored. I don’t mean to say that they are incompetent, but I don’t believe that they have the training or experience to handle someone’s public image in the days of smartphones and social media. I really don’t have the confidence that they’ll be able to help us with the social media aspect, but I would like to try to train them. It may be they can do the research, while someone else handles your public image.”

 

“Of course, Phichit. I’m not offended in the slightest. As you can tell from our conversation, managing my image has not been something that has particularly concerned me before, though I am quickly learning the error of my ways. I would very much appreciate the assistance, and if we need to shuffle some staff, then that can happen too. If I’m going to be making a lot of public appearances, then there will be an increased workload on both my household and personal staff, so I’ll be needing more people anyway. I believe Mr. Feltsman has already been making such arrangements.”

 

Phichit smiled appreciatively, obviously relieved that Victor wasn’t offended by his suggestion. And far from it, after hearing the amount of work that went into handling social media properly, Victor couldn’t imagine his current staff being able to do what was necessary. They simply didn’t have the experience.

 

“Ok, so, as I said, I will get you that information tonight. I will also work on setting up an interview.” Phichit looked to Yuuri. “Yuuri, I will need your help with that one since the request and all the details will need to come from government staff if we don’t want to alert the Monarchists.”

 

Yuuri nodded. “Yes, I have already given it some thought and sent some emails out asking about upcoming events and news releases. Public Affairs handles the big stuff, but the ministries individually do some of their own media work on the smaller issues. And that may actually be the best way to get the King in front of the media without the Monarchists suspecting anything.” Yuuri paused, looking back and forth between Phichit and Victor. “There is something you should be aware of, that could greatly affect how we proceed. Phichit, it goes without saying, this information is NOT to be used for personal gain. You CAN’T let anyone even have an inkling. I trust you, but I need to hear you say it.”

 

“Of course, Yuuri,” Phichit smiled easily at his friend, “you know that I would never exploit our friendship, even if the information is freely or even carelessly given.”

 

Yuuri smiled warmly in response. It was true, neither of them had ever used any of the information given in late night or drunken conversations to gain any benefit. It never hurt to reiterate that fact, and asking the other to do so was never something that one begrudged the other. It was how they had successfully navigated their friendship in the circumstances in which they had now found themselves. “Thank you Phichit.” He took a deep breath before continuing. “It has come to my attention that Audit has uncovered a few oddities in the budget numbers that Finance has reported on. Nothing huge, but some of the reporting of the new tariffs appear to have errors in them. Right now Finance is loudly blaming the computer system, saying that a mistake was made when the field was set up, and something about double counting the tariffs which is why the amount of the funds received doesn’t seem to balance. The discrepancy in the funds is… substantial. Not in terms of the government’s budget as a whole, but it’s not insignificant. And of course the Minister of Finance is -”

 

“Nikolai Plisetsky.” Victor interjected. “Yes, I had been wondering, and about him in particular.”

 

“It’s no secret within government administration that he craves power and wealth,” Yuuri continued, “but perhaps what you need to be most aware of is that he doesn’t seem to care how he gets it, or whom he has to crush to get there. All the civil servants are deathly afraid of crossing him, and in the past there have been several high officials fired for rather nebulous reasons. The staff talk, though they keep it amongst themselves, but he is the one that you have to watch out for. I know LeRoy is a snake, but he’s a pussycat compared to Plisetsky.”

 

Victor’s eyebrows crept up to the top of his head in surprise. Yuuri certainly wasn’t beating around the bush. “I know he has a reputation for being of the ‘old boys club’ mentality, but you’re suggesting that he’s downright abusive to staff.”

 

Yuuri straightened in his chair and with a look of utter disgust answered, “I am not _suggesting_ that he abusive, I am _telling_ you that he is. And not just verbally. But for your purposes, you just need to know what kind of man you are dealing with - he will protect his own interests without regard to the cost, and believe me, he has the means to do it.”

 

The three were quiet for a moment after the last chilling statement. Victor briefly flicked his eyes to Yakov, who nodded solemnly at him, silently confirming Yuuri’s statements.

 

“Thank you for the warning, Yuuri, I appreciate you sharing that information, particularly given the sensitivity of it. I will definitely take it to heart, and I’m sure Phichit will too.” Phichit nodded, presumably still too stunned for thought.

 

“Ok, I know you two need to get back to Parliament Row - but before you go, let’s exchange cell numbers so we can get a hold of each other through more direct means.” The two across from him looked at him with utter shock.

 

“Are you sure your Majesty?” Yuuri asked. “I mean… that’s… a lot.”

 

“Too formal, Yuuri,” Victor gently admonished. “And yes, I’m sure. We’ve all committed enough to this plan that we have to totally trust each other. A phone number is nothing at this point. And I can assure you, no matter what people like to say, I’m actually fairly boring, and even if you hacked into my phone you wouldn’t find anything interesting or incriminating. I may have ‘partied’ a lot and gotten drunk, but I’ve always been careful enough to not get so inebriated that I do something entirely stupid. And never drugs, never anything illegal. My father would be rolling in his grave if that were the case. You won’t find anything that could link me to anything scandal worthy because I will never do anything to sully the Nikiforov name. I may have let myself down, but no matter what I will never be the cause of the Nikiforov family name being in disrepute.”

 

“Thank you, King Victor... and I have to say I am starting to understand that you are much, much different than how you are portrayed. And that is a good thing. A very good thing. Beyond this being the rational thing to do, I can honestly say that I personally support you, and I hope that we are successful. I would like to see you rule Ruzka, King Victor. We have a lot of life long government workers about to collect on their pensions, and from listening to them talk about the ‘good old days’, I understand why the older folks wax poetic over the benevolent rule of the Nikiforov family, and long for its return. And now having spoken to you in person I can see that you really want to serve your people, as the Nikiforov family has always done. I do believe you will lead us to victory.”

 

Phichit leapt to his feet, interrupting Yuuri. “That’s it!!!! Yuuri!!! You got it! The perfect hashtag. The concept we will base our entire plan on. And it’s perfect in so many ways and can carry through when King Victor is exercising his proper powers!!!”

 

“You’ve got us all excited about this social media stuff Phichit, so cut to the chase, what is it?” Yuuri demanded, looking vaguely irritated.

 

Phichit smirked at him, completely sure of himself, “It’s really quite simple, Yuuri.”

 

He paused dramatically, because that was just who Phichit was.

 

“#Victory4thePeople. They want a victory, so we’ll give them a victory.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And... we're almost at the top of the rollercoaster. Next chapter you'll get a glimpse of what's coming then chapter 6 begins the wild ride...


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nikolai and JJ plot... Phichit and Yuuri review their progress.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting 3 chapters today, and will be bundling the chapters in the future depending on what makes a logical break. I originally wrote this as a novel, something to sit down and read whole, rather than a piece periodically updated, and I don't think the chapters are as stand alone as something I would have written for the purpose of publishing in parts.
> 
> So get ready, LOTS happens in chapter 5-7 and we're just getting started.

_December 29, 2016_

 

“Mr. LeRoy, sir, #Victory4thePeople is still trending, I’m afraid. Not only is it trending, but it seems to have caught on outside of Ruzka as well.”

 

JJ LeRoy, the Prime Minister of Ruzka, looked up at his aide, not hiding his distaste. JJ looked surprisingly younger than his 42 years, his athletic body and undercut brown hair belying his true age. In public, his steel grey eyes were captivating, drawing his audience into his speeches and veneer of goodwill. In private, however, his eyes always bore an expression of either accusation or displeasure, which marred his usual good looks. Today was certainly no exception as he turned his accusatory gaze to his aide, “I don’t understand how you let it get to this point. The King has never been a challenge to Parliament or to the policies of the Monarchists. We’ve spent a good long while ensuring his reputation as a hedonist - filling the gossip rags with photos of him from all those parties he attends with the other inane aristocrats his age. Honestly, that man doesn’t have a whit of sense in him! And he certainly can’t compete with JJ style! So explain yourself. Explain to me just how it is that that paltry King is all of a sudden getting public support?”

 

The aide gulped nervously as the PM’s voice rose in accusation at the end of his speech. “Um, sir, we really can’t explain it at the moment. We have our public affairs people looking into it right now and trying to trace the source of this to see how it started happening.”

 

The third man in the room, unnoticed until that moment by the PM’s aide, cleared his throat. “JJ, I think I can shed some light on that. In fact, that was on the agenda for our discussion today. … so perhaps if you can dismiss your aide for now, I think we should get back to business.” The aide, having identified the man speaking as Nikolai Plisetsky, positively trembled at the man’s words, which caused the PM to pause, looking askance at his aide.

 

“Very well, you’re dismissed, but watch your phone - I expect that I will have further instructions for you in short order.”

 

“Yes, sir. Thank you Mr. Prime Minister, sir. I will be watching closely for your instructions.” And with a slight nod, the man made his way out of the room as quickly as he could, though without much dignity.

 

The PM laughed. “Oh, Nikolai, it never fails to amaze me how people jump at the mere sound of your voice. That’s a very useful talent you have.”

 

Nikolai just raised an eyebrow at the Prime Minister. “Really, JJ, I know you pride yourself on your so-called charisma, but there are other, more… _effective_ ways of managing staff at times. And it comes in extremely useful, especially when there are sensitive or confidential matters at issue.”

 

JJ took the rebuke in stride, both not wanting to anger the older man, but also realizing that Nikolai spoke from experience - and very successful experience at that. So instead of reacting as he was inclined to, he forced himself to smile. “You’re right of course, Nikolai, some of the matters we deal with do take a … certain touch. I appreciate the advice.” And he did. Nikolai had served as a Member of Parliament for a consecutive 36 years - far longer than anyone else. He was currentlythe only member of Parliament who had been serving when King Maxim had ruled as a true King - and had also borne witness to the King relinquishing said powers. And JJ didn’t doubt the amount of contacts that Nikolai had built over the years… and the secrets that he must know, holding them safe to be used at just the right moment.

 

No, JJ didn’t delude himself about Nikolai’s true personality, or how he had held onto his seat for so long. Nikolai craved power like no one JJ had ever met, though the man was more than content to rule from the shadows. JJ often thought that was the most dangerous part about Nikolai. He wasn’t afraid to try anything that he thought would further his aims - after all, since he remained behind the scenes there was very little risk he would take the fall. Nikolai would do anything to keep, or even further, his power - and that was what made him a very, very dangerous man indeed.

 

Still. JJ couldn’t help being sucked into the vortex surrounding Nikolai as he sought his own taste of power. Nikolai may be primarily focused on himself, but he would definitely be able to help JJ reach his own goals. And JJ wanted to be _King_. Perhaps not in name, but imbued with the powers the old kings of Ruzka wielded. And Plisetsky seemed happy enough to do what he could to help JJ reach his goal. JJ wasn’t certain of Plisetsky’s ultimate aim, but for now it seemed the two were aligned.

 

The two of them together had devised the perfect plan to further Ruzka’s position as the world’s dominant leader, both economically and politically. And with technology too, he thought. The presence of opryx had allowed them to attract the most talented from around the world to work in labs on the most cutting edge technology. And now that they had tightened up the immigration rules, that talent would not be leaving the country. Yes, perhaps they had eliminated new talent from coming from other countries, but the more important aspect is that the current talent had such a major disincentive to leave that they could prevent the knowledge of the newest developments from getting outside of Ruzka. The rest of the world mistakenly thought that it was some sort of racism, but country of origin had nothing to do with it; it was purely for economics.

 

And what the world didn’t know yet was that opryx was going to change the medical world. Already heralded as a major innovation in green technology, the rest of the world had yet to become aware of the fact that opryx had a major role in the new types of laser surgery that were being developed. It’s ability to carry and refract light as needed was going to be critical in developing new surgical methods. And there were hints that opryx might be able to be more… something to do with magnetic fields, though that was still being defined and studied by the scientists and engineers studying opryx. All he knew is that opryx was about to be indispensable when it came to cancer treatments. And with the incredibly increasing rate of cancer across the world… well, Ruzka was poised to be the world leader that it once was and that it should be. JJ knew and believed this from the bottom of his soul. It was, and always had been, Ruzka’s destiny to rule the world. Ruzka differed from every other nation in that they always put their people first, and had developed a very flexible style of government to accommodate those principles. It was in their blood, this service to the people. JJ had to grudgingly admit that it had been in the blood of the Monarchy since the first King had been named as such. While the Monarchy had its faults, the one thing he could agree with is that they always, always put their people first.

 

Though… the present King seemed in a lot of ways to have given up on that philosophy. It was true that he supported many causes, and he was personally involved rather than just sending annual cheques. However, the King had never tried to get involved with politics, never even once attempted to voice his opinions. Which made JJ angry. … and it also made him ruminate on why, even though the King had been stripped of his powers - albeit by the last Monarch - that Victor did not at least try to participate somehow in the direction of Ruzka. But no, not King Victor. No, King Victor had, since he turned the age of majority, dedicated himself to the pursuit of pleasure instead. It disgusted JJ immeasurably. To think that the Monarchy had sunk so low… it almost made him want to suggest a change of name for his party, though he knew that it was not a good idea. After all, part of their success resided in the fact that they supposedly supported, and, were in turn, supported by the Monarchy.

 

Of course, all that was a joke. The Monarchists had become their own independent entity a long, long time ago. Which is why he needed to know NOW why public support was now rallying around the King.

 

Bringing his thoughts back to the present, JJ asked, “So you were saying, Nikolai, about this nonsense with the King… you know more of what’s behind it?”

 

“Yes, yes, of course I do. I know that it appears to be a random thing, the photos the King posted picking up a little traction with the public because of the subject of them, but I am sure there is actually a lot more to it. In fact, I am sure this is a calculated attack against us, and the beginning of a plan to reinstate the King’s powers.” Nikolai delivered this incredible speech in a sedate tone which was completely at odds with the implications of what he just said.

 

JJ felt the need to concentrate on his chin to ensure that his mouth didn’t fall open in the wide mouth gape that was his true reaction to Nikolai’s words. “Nikolai! … not that I doubt you, but that is rather shocking. Why after all this time would the King suddenly be attempting to get his power back? Victor has never even attempted to express an opinion on government policies, so why on earth would he suddenly be interested in government? All that pretty boy does is hang out with ignorant doe-eyed young aristocrats who think that they have life figured out.”

 

Nikolai laughed in response to JJ - not a derisive laugh that would be typical of him, but an honest and deep laugh, the timbre of which showing that he wholeheartedly agreed with what JJ had just said. “I know, right? Who would have thought that fool of a ‘man’ would ever attempt to get involved with government, never mind actually try to reverse the constitutional changes.” Nikolai sobered up, the echoes of his uncharacteristic laughter having faded from the room.

 

“But you see, JJ, I know what the man’s schedule is, and my people keep a very close eye on it. After all, even powerless as he is, he is still the Monarch of Ruzka, and as such, the government needs to keep tabs on his actions. And I can tell you two important things about his schedule the last few weeks. First, there have been several charitable events that were scheduled on very short notice. Second, he’s been meeting with Phichit Chulanont - but at Medkovo Palace, not his Parliamentary offices.”

 

As JJ stared speechless at Nikolai, he could feel that this time he had not been successful in controlling his facial features, and he was, in fact, staring gape mouthed at the Minister. As a million thoughts flitted through his mind, Nikolai continued, “And you know what that means. Phichit Chulanont, the ‘master’ of all social media. Though I might speak disparagingly, in truth I can’t fault his skills. He is miles ahead of any of the media and public relations people in the government, and his own successful campaign shows the true strength of his skills. But what is the most relevant, is that the opposition has made a move. They know they can’t defeat us in Cabinet, so they are trying other means to assert control.” Nikolai paused, allowing JJ to digest the information.

 

“That actually makes a lot of sense in the circumstances,” JJ replied, nodding. “Once again, the King is just a puppet, though he is someone else’s at the moment. Which is problematic, but at least we know that he isn’t actually trying to make a move on his own.” JJ broke out in laughter, “Can you imagine???? Victor probably has absolutely no idea what he would do if he got his powers back! He’d be like a terrified little boy who was entrusted by his mother to stir the soup after having a particularly nasty temper tantrum. I won’t belittle the threat since it’s essentially a campaign being run by Chulanont, but I think that we can manage it, and knowing you, Nikolai, you already have some ideas on how to do so.”

 

He looked towards Nikolai, who sat comfortably in an old, worn armchair, his fingers steepled together and a wicked gleam in his eye. He had every confidence that Nikolai would know how to stop this in its tracks, even if the method might not be as… clean as JJ would prefer.

 

“Oh, yes, the answer is really quite simple. A rather brilliant young lady on my personal media relations staff came up with it actually. We just need to create a scandal… and we’ll do it the same way he’s running his own campaign - through Instagram photos taken by supposedly random people in the crowd. We have actually selected the perfect scenario and I’ve already begun enlisting the assistance we need. Once the time and place is certain, we will arrange for a number of ‘bystanders’ in place. I can assure you, the King will not recover easily from this - personally or publicly. We have a good idea of what particular kind of scandal will break him and make him lose any and all motivation for participating in any scheme put forward by the Progressives.”

 

JJ looked up at the giant world map covering the entirety of one wall. It showed Ruzka at the height of its power, it’s territory covering a vast portion of the globe. That was what JJ aspired to. He knew Ruzka could be great once again. He knew that with opryx they could once again dominate the world. And he wanted to be the man that lead Ruzka there. He wanted to be the face of the force that would be Ruzka, the power behind the empire.

 

“I have it,” he said to Nikolai. “I know what our slogan should be. “Victor Is No Nikiforov.”

 

Nikolai gave him a questioning look, waiting for him to elaborate.

 

“It’s a double entendre. Not only are we insinuating that Victor is not what the people associate with the Nikiforovs, but, remember, Nikiforov translates to ‘victory’ in the old tongue. So it’s also ‘Victor is no victory’. Nikolai, it’s time we get rid of the monarchy altogether. I say we push Victor out right now before he has any heirs. With the right campaign it won’t take much to convince the people that any Nikiforov could potentially go ‘rogue’ as it were and to oust the monarchy entirely. Ruzka doesn’t need the Nikiforovs anymore. Ruzka has us. And I have no doubt that working together, we will show Ruzka what it means to be an empire in the modern age.”

 

“I like your thinking,” Nikolai replied thoughtfully with a cryptic smile. “It seems that our end goals are closer than I thought. We’re in agreement then - #VictorIsNoNikiforov.”

 

~~~~~~

 

It was late that evening that Nikolai found himself ruminating over his earlier conversation with JJ as he sat in his Parliamentary office, reclining against the worn leather of his favourite chair that had been with him for the last decade. The man was a twit, no doubt about it, but he was a useful twit. It amused Nikolai to no end how JJ had just fallen in with his plans - how easy he was to manipulate.

 

JJ was a man who had an inflated idea of his importance in life, and more than that, he constantly overestimated his worth. The man had some strange delusions of grandeur, where he pictured himself as the new king of Ruzka. Although unlike King Victor, JJ wanted to be have the power of the king without the appellation. So for now, in a sense, their interests were aligned.

 

However, the second things went south, JJ would be a convenient scapegoat. But that wouldn’t happen.

 

No, Nikolai had been planning this for a long, long time. He had pretty much every contingency covered, and information in his back pocket that was his ‘get out of jail free card’ should things actually go sideways. But Nikolai had no reason to believe anything would go wrong. Although JJ was a twit, he did possess enough intelligence and sense of self preservation that he could be trusted to carry out Nikolai’s instructions.

 

Nikolai reached down to the lower drawer of his desk and brought out the bottle of scotch and tumbler he kept there. Pouring himself a generous portion, he then fished out two ice cubes from the glass he’d brought with him for this express purpose, adding them to the tumbler and giving it a quick swirl before taking a good sized gulp. It was an end of day ritual he’d enjoyed for the past 30 years, and one he refused to give up, no matter what the circumstances.

 

He looked around his office - it was really his second home for the length of time that he had occupied it. The dark wood had long gone out of style, but he had refused repeated attempts at redecorating.

The artwork, however, was a different matter - it was timeless. As with everything Nikolai did, he celebrated Ruzka, and the paintings adorning the walls were created by famous Ruzka artists and depicted some of Ruzka’s greatest triumphs in battle. Ruzka, though peaceful at heart, had had its share of invading neighbours, and had not been shy about using force when it first spread its wings and acquired its colonies.

 

He sighed in satisfaction as he gazed around his office, seeing the rich history of Ruzka displayed so proudly despite the attempts to modernize both him and his office. He was, after all, of a certain era, and he felt that keeping his office as it was tended to remind visitors of that fact, and more importantly, of his longstanding influence and power behind the scenes.

 

He smirked to himself. Power. He had _real_ power, unlike the King. With his extensive network within administration and the number of people who owed him personal favours… well, he basically had control of the entire government of Ruzka. And had for a very, very long time.

 

His face darkened as he thought of the King, and the unduly esteemed Nikiforov line. It was a bunch of hype, those that were named Nikiforov were certainly no better than anyone else; truthfully they were just a bunch of power hungry rats who were incompetent rulers. One could just look at Ruzka’s diminished status to see that! The fact that Ruzka had ceded all of it’s previous conquests was downright shameful, and had irrevocably hurt the country.

 

No, Ruzka no longer needed anyone named Nikiforov at it’s helm.

 

Instead it would have the Plisetsky’s.

 

Smiling to himself, he reached over to his landline and dialled a very familiar number.

 

“Alina,” he said as a woman picked up, “I need to speak with Yurio. I have an important job for our fine young man.”

 

~~~~~~

 

Yuuri shifted in his seat, feeling the need for movement after being cooped up so long. He and Phichit had been reviewing thelatest Twitter analytics that Phichit’s team had sent, and were going around in circles trying to decide what the next move should be.

 

The results were good - better than could be expected, really. It seemed that in the days of reality shows, the people craved a good old fashioned glimpse of someone truly _royal_. Someone whose importance was linked to more than their latest plastic surgery or weird diet fad. Someone who came from a family whose history was so thoroughly and intrinsically intertwined with Ruzka’s that the very name held a certain reverence. And there was no denying that Victor was beautiful, which of course helped public interest.

 

Their conclusion - it was the right place, the right time and the right person to make this happen. If Victor had been older, less charismatic or less involved with his charities, it would have been a struggle. As well, the woes that beset the modern age set up the perfect circumstances. Between the strange new celebrity reality stars, and, as native Ruzka’s saw it, the degradation of culture in other parts of the world, there was a certain reassurance in the tradition that came with the Nikiforovs. After all, the family had been a constant in Ruzka’s history, a reassurance that no matter how crazy the government got, there was always a Nikiforov monarch to save them from themselves. Their rule had always been somewhat of a collaborative endeavour, and their power had never felt oppressive or forceful.

 

Yuuri let his mind wander a bit. The last few weeks had been a dream come true if he was being honest with himself. Not only was he talking with the King, but with their plans being secret, there was something intimate in both their planning and interactions. He let his inner fanboy swoon a little as he regaled in the fact that he not only had the King’s personal cell phone number, but that they texted on a regular basis.

 

“Earth to Yuuri! Come back to me, loverboy, your boyfriend isn’t in the clear yet!”

 

“OMG PHICHIT, NO!!!” Yuuri screeched, a furious flush burning his cheeks.

 

Phichit raised his eyebrows. “Phichit, _YES_! I can tell when you’re daydreaming about the King you know. And not that I blame you. He’s not my type, but I’ll admit objectively that he’s attractive. And now that we know him… well, let’s just say I’m pleasantly surprised.”

 

“Yeah,” Yuuri answered, the blush still prominent, “and I never imagined just what a _dork_ he could be. I mean, come on, half the texts I get from him are pictures of his dog or him being ridiculous with his dog.” Yuuri paused a moment, blush fading as he became more serious. “Truthfully I think he’s been really lonely. It has to be hard in his position. All these expectations to be a ‘Nikiforov’, but no real responsibilities to back them up. People put him on a pedestal, yet he has no ability to prove his worth. Not politically anyway. And with his parents dying… I imagine he’s pretty isolated.”

 

Phichit sobered up at Yuuri’s observations. “I think you’re right, actually. I remember the first meeting I had with him. I was so overwhelmed at the time that I didn’t put a lot of thought into it, but the more I think about it, the more I realize just how much his attitude was about trying to establish his authority despite the fact he had none. He put a lot of energy into being the ‘king’ I imagined he should be. Not that I think he isn’t or can’t be a proper king… it’s just… I imagine that must be what most of his interactions are like. You’ve said that as far as you can tell he doesn’t have any really close personal friends or advisors.”

 

Yuuri shook his head. “No. Word from the Palace servants is except for attending parties, he doesn’t really talk to anyone. Doesn’t have friends come visit. Doesn’t talk on the phone or text. Just… keeps to himself.”

 

“Well, Yuuri,” Phichit said softly, “I know he’s come to trust us, so maybe we can help fill the void of friendship. But you know, you should really think about letting him know what your true feelings are.”

 

“Phichit!!! I can’t do that. Come on! We’ve only known him a couple weeks! If I did that I would seem both crazy and opportunistic. We both know he’s had all sorts of people throwing themselves at him. He doesn’t need that from me too.”

 

“I suppose you’re right,” Phichit sighed. “But… maybe now is not the time, but please keep it in mind, Yuuri, for when you two know each other a bit better. I really think you could be good for him. You two complement each other in a way you don’t often see. And remember, human interaction is my passion. There’s not much that I miss, and even less that I’m mistaken about. I just don’t want to see you waste an opportunity when I really can see it bringing both of you a lot of happiness.”

 

Yuuri smiled warmly at his friend. Phichit always had his best interests at heart, he knew. And he would consider his advice… when he was ready to. But today was not the time. “Ok, I’ll take the unsolicited advice to my hypothetical ‘Dear Abby’ letter under advisement. But right now let’s stick to business. As interesting as my non-existent love life is, we’re trying to prevent a war, and a potential world war at that.”

 

Phichit smiled back at him, taking the gentle rebuke in stride. “Of course. Let’s switch to next steps then. What have you been able to come up with in terms of interview possibilities?”

 

“Well, there are a few. I do have a couple possibilities that would fly under the Monarchist’s radar; however, I have an even better one. What if… what if we were to make Victor a part of the Monarchist’s own propaganda campaign?”

 

Phichit gaped at Yuuri, taken aback, yet again at his best friend’s brilliance. “Yes. YES. Yuuri, that is PERFECT! How do you even do these things?”

 

“Now, Phichit, that would be telling. I can’t give up all my secrets,” Yuuri responded coyly.

 

“Yuuri… my cinnamon bun… you really are an evil genius…”

 

“Huh? Cinnamon bun? What the hell, Phichit? Sometimes I swear you don’t even speak English!”

 

Phichit inhaled deeply, “And Yuuri, my smol boy, _that_ is a part of your charm…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally the King's name was Theodore Matthias David Moore. The tags were #Moore4thePeople and #TheodoreNoMore... which works a lot better than Victor's name lol.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> King Victor tastes success. Things are proceeding as planned.
> 
> Then... scandal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning for a panic attack.

_December 31, 2016_

 

For the first time in a long time, Victor had accepted an invitation to the annual New Year’s Eve Benefit Gala for the Eugene Stone Foundation. It was a foundation that provided bursaries and other assistance respecting education to the children of military families. Although they asked him every year, Victor had always shied away from attending. It had always seemed too ostentatious - ‘Dinner with the King’ - as they wanted to advertise it. But he had learned a lot from Phichit, and he now realized how mistaken he was.

 

As he got ready he pondered the last few weeks. Other than staying away from parties (which he didn’t miss at all), it had really been the same as usual with a few more appearances thrown in. The holidays were always a busy time for him, as his charities always seemed to run fundraising campaigns around the holidays. And he had always taken full advantage of it, but this year he made sure that he actually documented his appearances.

 

And true to what he had concluded previously, he was able to control the narrative. He stuck to focussing on the people he met; on the hard work that they did and the stories of the people that benefitted. While he had posted an occasional photo of himself, the vast majority were of others. And just like Phichit had said, letting others post photos of him ensured that he was not giving the impression that he was trying to show off. Phichit had made sure that there were a few people attending the events that would post photos of him, and whereas before people seemed to think it was taboo, now people openly snapped his photo and unhesitantly shared photos of him to various social media sites.

 

Phichit had also been very helpful with hashtags, and Victor found that he was often texting Phichit asking advice on what he should write regarding various photos. Phichit seemed to be having a lot of fun with it as well, always responding back quickly with something witty. He, of course, never used the #Victory4thePeople hashtag himself, but it had not stopped trending in the last two weeks since it had first been used.

 

The analytics were extremely interesting as well, though Victor hadn’t been fully briefed on their exact findings yet. One thing he had noted was that there were a lot of people in the 35+ age bracket that were supporting him, which was a lot more than he had anticipated.

 

All in all, he concluded, so far it was going to plan.

 

With that happy thought in his head, he finished getting ready, looking himself over one final time before leaving. Although he never wore a crown in public, today he truly looked like a King. As the head of the military, he had donned his dress uniform, complete with his medals and the Nikiforov family sash. He had pulled his hair back in a neat ponytail at the base of his head, tying it in the style of days long gone with a ribbon that matched the deep blue of his uniform. With his hair pulled back, his eyes became his most prominent feature, the blue that was almost sea glass so unusual outside the Royal Family that his identity was unmistakable. He finished the look with the Royal Sceptre, one of the symbols of the Nikiforov family. It was far less jewelled than one would expect; its beauty lay in the intricate goldsmithing. All in all, it was fairly practical for a ceremonial item, and Victor tended to favour it for more formal public appearances.

 

As he left his room, his attendants falling in behind him, he let himself feel cautiously optimistic in the spirit of ringing in the new year. Maybe, just maybe, this would work.

 

_January 3, 2017_

 

Yuuri, Phichit and Victor sat together in the small parlour watching Victor’s interview that had been taped the previous day. As he had promised, Phichit had managed to set up an interview for Victor with Yuuri’s help behind the scenes. The interview was part of a special series that would appear on the evening news. The theme was ‘Ruzka in the New Year’ and it was a series of interviews covering different aspects of Ruzka’s culture. The first was, of course, with the Prime Minister and had appeared on January 1st. PM LeRoy had regaled his audience with words about how great Ruzka was, how superior, etc., with special mention of how opryx would ‘make Ruzka great again’. Day two had been the Minister of Trade and Foreign Affairs who had painted a bright future for Ruzka with the higher trade tariffs and higher price of opryx. He also spoke of the higher earnings meaning higher quality of life for Ruzka’s people. The last bit had made Victor scoff when he’d heard it - he wagered not much of the increased earnings were actually making it into the government coffers.

 

His interview was day three, and was supposed to be a tale of Ruzka’s military strength and superiority and how Ruzka was secure, - a reassurance to the citizens that Ruzka didn’t have to worry about other nations and their “conquests”. That was the script he was handed. However, Victor did not stick to the script, which LeRoy and Plisetsky were not aware of as of yet.

 

The interview began as was expected, with Victor expressing his confidence in his military. After all, it was the one thing he had some control of, and he made sure that his officers were top notch, and he very much enjoyed singing their praises. Then his opportunity had come. The host of the interview asked him how he would implement government policy. Phichit straightened in his chair and listened intently to this portion of the interview.

 

 

> _The interviewer leaned forward slightly, as if she was trying to engage Victor in a secret conversation_. “Can you tell us, your Majesty, how the military is prepared to carry out the policies of the Monarchists?”
> 
> _Victor wasn’t playing coy_. “You mean whether we are prepared to go to war to defend the government’s current policies? I can say that Ruzka’s military always stands prepared to defend Ruzka against a threat to its borders and shores. Our soldiers are of the highest caliber, and are always prepared.”
> 
> “Oh?” _the interviewer asked, seemingly intrigued_. “The Prime Minister has said that Ruzka can defend itself against any threat, even those made by foreign countries that desire access to our opryx. How does Ruzka’s military respond to that threat, your Majesty?”
> 
> “There are, of course, limits as to what any military organization can accomplish. Ruzka can absolutely withstand attacks from a foreign country wishing to take Ruzka’s land for their own use. However, the military is not prepared nor equipped to deal with a world war, nor is it prepared to deal with a war of economics. We simply do not have the people to defend against a large scale attack, and though we are building up our arsenal, these things do not happen instantaneously.”
> 
> “Your Majesty, can you explain what you meant by a ‘war of economics’?”
> 
> “Of course. The current threats to Ruzka are mostly a result of economic policies the government has chosen to implement. The economic policies that the government is currently pursuing are not ones that the military can support - and I do not mean in a philosophical sense, because that is not our place. Rather, the Military is not a weapon that can be easily deployed against trade wars and foreign policy. The Military will always answer to the will of the people, however.”
> 
> “You speak of the will of the people, your Majesty, but what does that mean to you?”
> 
> _Victor paused, looking directly at the camera, and spoke in a strong, sure voice_ , “To me the will of the people is the absolute law; as a Nikiforov, the will of the people is a command; a call to action. There is nothing more powerful to a Nikiforov than the demands of our people. To us, answering this call is the greatest service we can give our people, and as a Monarch, the greatest honour I could receive. As always, the Nikiforov family stands ready to serve. Whatever the people demand, the Nikiforovs will deliver.”
> 
> _The interviewer paused, obviously uncertain what to say next. After a moment she spoke up_ , “Thank you, Your Majesty, for coming to speak with us today -”
> 
> “Please, call me King Victor. I’m not a marble bust on a pedestal or an oil painting hung in a dusty hallway.” _Victor gave her his most charming smile._
> 
> “Oh yes, ok, uh… King Victor,” _the interviewer responded, obviously flustered,_ “thank you very much for your report on Ruzka’s military. I’m sure that starting this new year, the people of Ruzka feel very secure knowing that the military is there to protect them.”
> 
>  

Throughout the interview, Phichit had been leaning closer and closer to the screen with mounting tension, but now he sat back, both excited and relaxed. “That was excellent, King Victor. I don’t think that we could have even scripted that better had we tried. And the obvious confusion and fluster of the interviewer was just right - not enough to be alarming, but enough for people to know that you were speaking from the heart and not from a script. I’m happy to say the entire thing came off very sincere. I have no doubt that this interview will result in support from the segments of the population that haven’t been influenced by our social media campaign.”

 

Yuuri, who until that point had remained still and rather impassive, spoke up, a soft smile on his face, “I agree with Phichit. That was masterfully handled, King Victor. You struck just the right note with certainty and authority. People may not have seen you as a leader before, but they will be able to picture it easily now. You have a commanding voice, and the charisma of a natural born leader.”

 

Victor blushed a little as Yuuri finished speaking, pleasantly surprised by Yuuri’s unexpected praise. He had been texting with Yuuri whenever he could find an excuse over the last weeks, and was pleased to see he was finally making progress in getting Yuuri to warm up to him.

 

But aside from that, he was especially pleased by both their assessments of his interview. At the time he had felt that it had gone well, but seeing it broadcast confirmed it for him. It was exactly how he had envisioned it. He smiled at his co-conspirators. “I really have to thank you both, you have been living up to the promises you made, and really helping me hold up my end of the bargain. So far, the plan seems right on track.”

 

Phichit smiled back at him, his smile wide and unguarded. “Thank you, King Victor. I have to admit I am beyond satisfied to see how it’s working out. I knew that our plan was solid, but there’s so many variables. Oh - and the good news, I was looking through some of the data analysis, and it looks like we are right where we need to be. There’s nothing in the data that suggests that we need to adjust the strategy. In fact, I am happy to say that you are getting more support from the older age ranges than I had initially anticipated. That will be extremely useful, as of course many of those in that age range are in positions of power - not political, but managers, leaders, company owners, etc. They will have some influence over those in their circle of acquaintance.”

 

“Wow! That’s great news, Phichit, certainly more than I expected,” Victor replied, with a small but sincere smile. “While you and Yuuri are here, did you want to discuss my next events? There are a few organizations that I want to visit, but your input would help me decide which order to schedule them to keep our momentum going.”

 

“Sure, King Victor, we’d be happy to help out,” Phichit replied.

 

Yuuri smiled as he chimed in, “Of course you can count on us.”

 

Victor smiled. Although the circumstances left much to be desired, he felt for the first time like his life had purpose, and not just that, but that he had people in his life that he might be privileged enough to call friends.

 

_January 5, 2017_

 

When Nikolai entered the room JJ was staring at the map of Ruzka, the empire, once again. They were so close, JJ thought, so close to making his dream for Ruzka a reality. And then, once they removed the King, once and for all, they would be one step closer.

 

He turned to Nikolai, smiling, “So, you’ve said everything is in place?”

 

“Yes, everything is lined up. Yurio, an acquaintance of the girl’s father, met Victor at that New Year’s Eve Gala as we had planned, and talked up the girl’s future plans. You know, blah, blah, she wants to become an engineer and give back just like her father, that sort of thing. He fell for it hook, line and sinker, like the sap he is. Even though she is only 17, Yurio managed to get him to agree to meet her personally to give her the news that she was being considered for a scholarship. They’re to meet tonight, at dinner. Yurio will be there, but will be called out for a phone call at an opportune time. The girl has agreed to set the scene for some easily misinterpreted photo opportunities. I have people on hand that will take those photos and make sure to spread them on social media. Can you imagine? Victor with an underage girl in a compromising position? Before the night is out, Victor will be ruined.”

 

“Wow, Nikolai, that is… brilliant. But can you trust this Yurio? And how did you get the girl to agree to it?”

 

Nikolai laughed, a deep rich laugh that held more mirth than JJ thought the situation warranted. “It was too easy, really. Yurio is the brother of one of my more trusted staff people, so I am sure I can trust him. And finding the girl was really just a simple inquiry to determine if any of my staff knew of someone who would be looking to apply or had applied to the Eugene Stone Foundation. So you see, her story is perfectly true. She’s 17 now, but turns 18 this spring and will be going to university next fall - if she can afford it. So we have agreed to pay not only her tuition, but her living expenses. I can easily get it accounted for under one of the existing government bursaries, and it’s a lot more than she’d be able to get normally. In this scenario, everyone wins. Everyone but Victor, that is.”

 

“You seem especially pleased by all this Nikolai. What is it about Victor that bothers you so much? It seems almost personal.” JJ was hesitant to ask, but couldn’t contain his curiosity. Since their previous discussion, Nikolai had seemed almost joyful at the thought of bringing the King down, and JJ couldn’t figure out why… and he needed that information to make sure that he wasn’t being pulled into something that he couldn’t get out of.

 

Nikolai raised an eyebrow. “Oh, it’s nothing personal against the King, per se. I’m just finishing something that was started a long, long time ago. The final nail in the coffin, you could say.”

 

JJ just nodded, deciding that he had better keep his mouth shut. He assumed that Nikolai was talking about his part in convincing King Maxim to give up his power 28 years ago. JJ didn’t know all the details - and didn’t want to - but he did know that some form of coercion had been used. He had assumed that it was blackmail of some kind, though sometimes he wondered, since King Maxim seemed to have lived a pretty open life. He didn’t think their current path would put him in danger though, no matter what Nikolai had been a part of in the past. They were simply creating a mistaken impression to sway public opinion, not openly lying or threatening the King. And who knows, if given the opportunity, the King may even try something inappropriate. He was, after all, known for his playboy ways. Though he managed to keep his relationships secret, JJ didn’t doubt that there were all sorts of things going on behind the closed doors at those parties. But even if he did try something, the girl would be safe. He was sure that Yurio would step in if there was any sense the girl was in actual danger. No, the most that would happen is she might be a little embarrassed. A fair trade for a full scholarship, he thought.

 

~~~~~~

 

Victor found himself at the designated restaurant a few minutes late. A conversation with Phichit had kept him, though it was worth it for the update. He wasn’t all that comfortable with this meeting. The girl was 17 - old enough to qualify for a scholarship yet young enough that it could be taken the wrong way by observers. Victor had insisted that the girl’s father accompany her, but Yurio said that he was unavailable, so he would chaperone her instead. He had run it by both Phichit and Yuuri, and both thought that it would be acceptable. Phichit was actually really excited about it since it was such a goodwill story. The girl - Mila - was the daughter of a military vet that had been caught in an anti-tank mine. He had lost both legs in the explosion, and now was relying on his military pension to live. She was an honour roll student who wanted to study engineering and join the military. It really was the perfect scenario, and exactly why the Eugene Stone Foundation had been set up in the first place.He had, of course, had his staff vet all this information to ensure that it was the truth. He would never commit to something on behalf of the foundation without following the proper procedures. All he was doing here was telling Mila that she was going to be considered for a scholarship, but he’d made sure that she met the basic criteria and could be considered at all.

 

He entered the restaurant, and found himself escorted to a table by the window with a beautiful view of downtown Medkovo. He was a little uncomfortable with the location - normally he liked more privacy, especially when it was for this type of meeting; however, he tried to ignore his discomfort. After all, the whole idea of Phichit’s media plan was that he should make himself more accessible and share the stories of the people he helps. So perhaps, he would use tonight to further boost the public awareness of the Eugene Stone Foundation. If they could get some more donations out of the publicity he would generate, all the better.

 

He greeted them both as he sat down across from them, plastering on his work smile and preparing himself for an evening of manufactured pleasantries.

 

~~~~~~

 

<image>

King Victor spotted seemingly kissing an underage girl he escorted out for dinner.

 

**Ruzka4eva** how dare he? He’s just like his reputation

 

**Opryxorbust** @ **Ruzka4eva** I feel ya… nothing ok with this. Can’t have a predator as a leader

 

**Lovelyshade** he should suffer the consequences of his actions. Men need to stop taking advantage.

 

**Progressivechild37465** @ **Lovelyshade** women must stand in solidarity. We HAVE TO MAKE THIS STOP. It’s everywhere. EVERYWHERE. Until victims start speaking nothing will change.

 

**Livelongandprosperity** I don’t see the problem? He looks like an old fashioned gentleman?

 

**TimFromSpruceTown** @ **Livelongandprosperity** how can you say that? She’s too young to consent!!! That was clearly a kiss!

 

**Livelongandprosperity** @ **TimFromSpruceTown** I don’t see a kiss. Not THAT kind of kiss. I see an overwhelmed young woman giving in to her emotions and kissing someone that could be her parent.

 

**RuzkaGal** @ **Livelongandprospersity** You are insane. I would never kiss my dad like that. So gross.

 

**RuzkaGa** l the more I look at this the more disgusted I am. #VictorIsNoNikiforov we have no need for the monarchy, and certainly no need for predators like him.

 

**Opryxorbust** I stand in support. #VictorIsNoNikiforov

 

**Lovelyshade** I stand in support. #VictorIsNoNikiforov

 

**Progressivechild37465** I stand in support. #VictorIsNoNikiforov

 

(view 1,596 more comments)

 

~~~~~~

<www.RuzkaTribuneOnline.com/local-news/Kingscandal>

 

**KING SPOTTED WITH UNDERAGE GIRL**

Originally published January 5, 2017 8:01 am

By: WENDY DELGADO

 

Numerous photos are making their rounds through social media tonight, tagged #VictorIsNoNikiforov after King Victor was spotted in an apparently compromising position with a young girl. The girl’s identity has been confirmed by numerous sources as Mila Babicheva, daughter of Timothy Babicheva, a veteran currently on disability. Although it is not clear exactly what the situation was, the photos certainly make it appear like the King was engaged in inappropriate behaviour. This has prompted an outpouring of support for Ms. Babicheva, with thousands already posting to various social media platforms the message “I stand in support” with the tag #VictorIsNoNikiforov. Neither the King nor Mr. Babicheva has been able to be reached for comment. **More to come…**

 

(view all 383 comments)

 

~~~~~~

 

Victor was devastated.

 

Devastated didn’t even begin to cover it, if he was honest with himself. He was DONE. This was exactly what he was afraid would happen, and it was so far from the truth; so far from who Victor was… he couldn’t deal with it. So after he had come home that night and checked his notifications he did what every man his age would do… he reached for the scotch to get thoroughly drunk in the hope that maybe when he woke up he would discover that this had all been a bad dream.

 

Because… really…

 

Anyone who knew him - truly knew him - would tell you that Victor was a) a feminist, b) a staunch believer in strengthening consent in sex education, and c) gay. Totally, absolutely and completely gay. And then there was d) absolutely not interested in pursuing any sort of relationship (unless, maybe, if was Yuuri). After all, the only thing others saw in him was a title. So what was the point?

 

But the situation brought forth something very important that he had failed to realize before - the importance of having people around him that knew him. And truly knew him. Even though he had been orphaned as a young teen, he had never felt as alone as he did in this moment. There was no one he felt that he could turn to for comfort; no one to give him the hug he so desperately craved. He’d been starved for physical affection since his mother died, so this was nothing new, nothing he hadn’t coped with a thousand times before.

 

Despite the faint warmth he could feel from the alcohol, the room felt almost unbearably cold, and he felt himself begin to shiver. Looking around for a blanket to warm himself up, his senses were overwhelmed; the colours too bright, the fabric of the chair he was on too scratchy, the slightly musty smell of the old velvet curtains too suffocating. Even the taste of the scotch on his tongue was too much, the peaty flavour he normally enjoyed becoming heavy, intolerable and bitter on his palette. He felt trapped, and he couldn’t seem to breathe normally.

 

Setting his glass down on the table roughly, he stood up and began to pace, hoping that movement would shake him out of whatever sort of emotion had engulfed him. He paced the room, methodically counting his footsteps and focussing on nothing more than moving one foot in front of the other until he could feel his breathing begin to return to normal. As he began to calm down he realized that his heart was still hammering in his chest, refusing to return to normal as easily as his breathing. He continued to pace, slowly counting out his steps while rubbing circles on his chest, trying to loosen the muscles that had tensed up in response to his panic.

 

Yes, panic, he thought. That was what this was - which, ironically, was no reason in and of itself to panic, but yet his panic was making him panic. It was that realization that made him calm down, his laughter at the irrational rationality of it enough to take control of himself and ease his chaotic emotions. It still took a while, but another half hour of pacing and rubbing his shoulder and chest to ease the tension and he finally started to feel something approaching normal.

 

Normal… what was that anymore? He was now a piranha. And the worst bit was that Mila wasn’t correcting the story. No, she was just letting it play out. And if he issued a denial? He didn’t want to look like those predators who blamed the victim… as it was it was nearly impossible for women to speak out against these types of assaults. He didn’t want to add to the problem.

 

BUT HE DIDN’T DO IT.

 

This wasn’t even a case of questionable consent. She had curled her hand inside his and reached it up to her cheek then leaned in as if to kiss him and he had reacted immediately, backing up and trying to find Yurio who was supposed to be their chaperone. Unfortunately the positioning made it look like it was his hand that was guiding the movement. It made him look like the aggressor. He sighed. He couldn’t blame anyone from thinking that, really. The number of times it probably happened every day… it made him sick. And he didn’t want to be the one false accusation that lead to the questioning of all others.

 

Fuck. What should he do? Maybe Phichit would know, he thought. Though it had been hours and Phichit hadn’t contacted him. Maybe he believed it too and had decided to disassociate himself with Victor? And what about Yuuri? Victor winced. He wasn’t ready to face that thought yet. He sighed. Only one thing he could do, really - contact Phichit. He decided to text him instead of call. Knowing how Phichit liked to read and analyze things before he responded, he thought maybe this was the best chance he had before his almost friends decided to judge and ostracize him as well.

 

**Phichit**

I didn’t do it

Whatever u read I didn’t

Idk why this happened

I would NEVER

Phichit pls idk what to do

Analyzing

Lots of posts

Not good

Trying to come up with plan

But do you believe me?

I need to know someone believes me

I did nothing wrong

I SWEAR I didn’t

I backed off as soon as she came close

The pics don’t show that

And it was her hand not mine

GOD. I would NEVER

No… you don’t seem the type

No offence but you seem…

Like you’d rather no one

Than just anyone

None taken

And BTW I’m gay

So there’s that…

But

So glad SOMEONE doesn’t think

I’m some sort of predator

I KNEW this was a bad idea

Well the fact you were so paranoid

Makes me sure this is a set up

A set up?

WHAT THE HELL?

I had my people make sure she is legit

Just because her story checks out

Doesn’t mean there wasn’t another

Reason for her to be doing this

She can be totally legit and still

Be setting you up

I don’t think you understand what

Nikolai & JJ are capable of

OMG

But… couldnt this ruin her future?

If she agreed to it?

Can’t see her gettin a scholarship now

But really?

RU serious that they are THAT corrupt?

…

Yes.

There are lots of

GOVERNMENT scholarships

Victor…

SHIT. I should have thought of that

OMG I AM SO SORRY

YOUR MAJESTY!!!!

I meant no disrespect!!!

?

I called you by your given name

That is unforgivable

I’m not sure what to do now to

Apologize and castigate myself

Ummmm

This might be the sctoch talking but

Did you get out the thesaruas?

Because castigate. REALLY???

It’s fine you used my name

No one does and I wish they would

So tired of being THE KING and not a person

Aaaahhhh osorry

Think I need to go to sleep now

Maybe should not have had scotch

But THNAK YUO

Sleep well Victor…

And rest assured we are on this

I believe you… and I believe IN you

We will figure this out

By the time you wake up we will

have issued a press release.

Gd night Phichit

And tell Yuuri…

Tell him I’m sory

Invr want to disapoint hm

I’m sure it’s fine

 

~~~~~~

 

**OFFICE OF**

**HIS MAJESTY KING VICTOR DMITRI VLADISLAV NIKIFOROV**

For immediate release

Media Advisory

**Statement Regarding Recent Allegations**

 

His Majesty, King Victor categorically denies any wrongdoing or inappropriate behaviour with respect to Ms. Mila Babicheva. King Victor states unequivocally that there was no touching, nor any intent of touching of a sexual nature whatsoever. Ms. Babicheva and King Victor were attending a meeting with Mr. Yurio Thorton, an acquaintance of Ms. Babicheva and her father. The meeting was requested by Mr. Thorton, and the subject of the meeting was to inform Ms. Babicheva that her application for a scholarship had been accepted by the Eugene Stone Foundation, and would proceed through the consideration process in due course. King Victor further states that the only physical contact that took place was the touching of hands, which was initiated by Ms. Babicheva and immediately rejected by the King. Further, these allegations are not being made by Ms. Babicheva or Mr. Thorton, but by persons who were not present on the basis of ambiguous photos taken from a distance and that are being misinterpreted.

 

King Victor does not condone any form of sexual harassment or assault, and does not wish this incident to discourage true victims of sexual assault or harassment from coming forward.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> King Victor thinks he's hit rock bottom. Yuuri and Phichit try to regroup.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a shorter chapter. It's a bit of a transition, but has some important bits in it that set up the next part. Trigger warning for another panic attack.

_January 6, 2017_

 

 

> <www.RuzkaTribuneOnline.com/local-news/approvalpoll>
> 
> **#VictorIsNoNikiforov DOMINATES SOCIAL MEDIA**
> 
> Originally published January 6, 2017 9:17 am / updated 10:37 am
> 
> By: EDNA POWERS
> 
> The Kingdom of Ruzka was shocked this morning by the news of unforgivable behaviour by King Victor. Although he had been gaining popularity recently, that support is nowhere to be seen as allegations of sexual misconduct arise concerning recent photos that surfaced of the King at a seemingly private dinner with Ms. Mila Babicheva. Although the King released of a statement denying the allegations, the court of public opinion appears to have already found him guilty as charged.
> 
> Ms. Babicheva, 17, the daughter of Ruzka veteran Timothy Babicheva, was reportedly meeting with the King to discuss a potential scholarship from the Eugene Stone Foundation, of which the King is a patron. However, during this meeting, which occurred at a local restaurant, the King was caught on camera apparently kissing Ms. Babicheva, though the photos do not show actual contact. While technically the age of consent for sexual activity is 16 years of age, given the King’s position of authority and age difference, the allegations, if true, could be considered sexual exploitation.
> 
> Mr. Thompson, a lawyer who advocates for the victims of sexual abuse, told the Ruzka Tribune that…

 

Victor threw his phone across the room where it hit the wall opposite him and landed by the feet of Yakov, who was just entering the room. Victor looked up blearily at him, his eyes red and puffy from the combination of lack of sleep, a hangover and the tears that had refused to stop falling. Yakov reached down to pick up his phone from where it had landed on the plush carpet. Idly he thought it was lucky for his phone that he was in his sitting room rather than going down for breakfast as he normally would. There were very few rooms in the Palace with wall to wall carpeting.

 

“I take it you’ve been reading the news?” Yakov asked as he handed Victor his phone. “I’m afraid it’s dominating all the headlines this morning.”

 

Taking a deep breath to try to steady his voice, Victor replied, “Yes, I’m quite aware of that, Yakov. It’s also dominating social media. I’ve never had so many notifications before.The people are calling for the abolition of the Monarchy. Things couldn’t get much worse - although at least I haven’t been notified I’m under investigation for sexual exploitation.”

 

“I can’t imagine the police would investigate you based on those photographs, King Victor. The photos are pretty ambiguous. I’d think the girl would have to file a complaint. And there must be witnesses who can attest to the fact that nothing happened. I know you well enough, Sir, to know that the allegations are absolutely false. And, please know that all of your staff feel the same way - you have our full support.”

 

Yakov was obviously trying to be reassuring, but with the sour expression on his face, he was failing miserably, and they both knew it.

 

“It’s early yet, and you know it Yakov. They may not have even contacted her yet to set up a time to interview her. Meanwhile, the public outrage is just growing, and the statement that was released is being completely ignored. I just can’t believe this!!! I was uneasy about it in the first place, and I wish I’d listened to my instincts.”

 

“King Victor… you could not have known that this would happen. I’m sure that it will work itself out.”

 

“And how exactly is that going to happen, Yakov?” Victor retorted, his voice shaky and loud. He realized he was bordering on yelling and sounded downright hysterical. He was completely coming apart at the seams, and he knew it. But he couldn’t help himself as he continued, “This is my own bloody fault! If I hadn’t spent the last ten years being an idiot then people would believe me. But no, I wasted my time and my reputation, and my word has zero credence in the public’s mind.” He paused, his tears starting again. “But Yakov, I just never thought… never thought that I’d actually be able to do anything for Ruzka. I never even imagined a future where I’d be able to rule like I should. And having been offered that future… it felt so right. And it seemed to be working. I just…” he broke off, his sobs taking over. With a shuddering breath he continued, “I just started to actually have hope. I want to do so much Yakov - I want to help shape Ruzka, I want to be someone my people look to and can rely on. But now… now, I’ll be lucky if I can even keep status quo.” He clasped his head in his hands, pulling his hair angrily, the stinging of his scalp a welcome sensation.

 

After a moment, he looked up. “And perhaps the worst part is that Phichit thinks that this is some sort of plot by JJ and Nikolai… and he’s in a position to know. I don’t even know what to make of that… this is just all too much.” Victor threw himself back in his chair, slumped sideways with his head arched upwards.

 

“Your Majesty, I’m going to call your physician. I think you need something to help you sleep. I know this is stressful, but if you don’t have enough sleep you won’t be able to think properly. And I’m sure Phichit and Yuuri will come up with a plan, and we need you to be able to think clearly.” Victor looked at Yakov to see the old man looking back at him with an almost fatherly like concern. He was quite touched, despite how unstable his emotions were, and the hysteria that still clung to him.

 

“Thank you, Yakov,” he replied, somewhat more calmly. “I will entrust my care to you. I am obviously too upset to think clearly right now.”

 

Yakov nodded in response and left the room, leaving Victor alone once more with his thoughts. And those thoughts quickly turned dark. He knew it was just a matter of time before the police came to investigate. After all, how could they not? It was such a serious allegation, that even if Mila admitted the truth, they would have to do something to reassure the public that they were doing his job. At the thought, bile rose in his throat and he ran to his bathroom, his stomach trying to empty its non-existent contents yet again. He vaguely wondered if he should have more scotch since at the very least it would give his stomach something to empty. He finished and washed his face, brushed his teeth and looked at himself in the mirror. His reflection showed him the toll the last 24 hours had taken; his normally flawless complexion was pale and his skin looked wan and papery. There were deep circles under his eyes, and the skin around them was so swollen it almost looked like he had been beaten. His hair, which he normally took pride in was hanging limp around his face, knotted, greasy and completely disheveled. In short, he was a complete mess. No wonder Yakov had been looking at him with that expression.

 

With that in mind he quickly showered, performing the basic tasks of hygiene by rote, but attempting to make himself more presentable. After all, if - when - the police came, he didn’t want to look like a complete degenerate. Towelling himself off, he picked up his phone again, hoping to see a message from Phichit. To his disappointment, Phichit hadn’t texted, and neither had Yuuri. He bit his lip, trying to deny to himself that he was disappointed. After all, he’d been alone this long, so he didn’t know why all of a sudden he should expect people to care. The two of them were just focussed on Ruzka’s current difficulties; they didn’t care about Victor personally.

 

He didn’t expect the harsh pain that seared through his chest at the thought, the muscles across his ribs clenching suddenly and painfully. The pain was so sudden he was brought to his knees, gasping and clutching at his chest. He could see his bed in front of him, but his vision wavered, almost tunnel like, and his hearing seemed to completely leave him. Is this how he would die, he thought, death by scandal? His death would bring an end to the Nikiforov family. Or at least the direct line. Through the years the direct descendants had fewer and fewer heirs until his father had been the last direct descendant. If Victor died, the Nikiforov monarchy died with him.

 

In the midst of these morbid thoughts, his door burst open and Yakov appeared with his personal doctor in tow. In the state he was he couldn’t even acknowledge them, not even to nod. His doctor kneeled by him immediately opening his bag. He pulled out a blood pressure monitor and a stethoscope.“Your Majesty, I know you’re upset, but I need you to breathe for me. I’m just going to take some readings, then we’ll help you out. Is that ok, sir?”

 

Victor managed to nod at his doctor. At this point he’d agree to almost anything that made this feeling go away. The doctor attached a blood pressure cuff and heart monitors to him and spent a moment analyzing the results. He watched as his doctor nodded. “You’re fine, your Majesty. Unfortunately you are experiencing a bad panic attack, but I can reassure you that it is a typical panic attack and your health is not in danger. However, I am concerned about this combined with your lack of sleep so I’m going to give you something to calm you down and hopefully help you sleep. If you have any more problems, I want you to contact me immediately. There is no reason that you have to suffer like this.”

 

Victor attempted to smile at his doctor’s kind words. The man had been his personal physician since he could remember, and his calm, steady manner never failed to calm his fears. “Thank you. I would appreciate anything you could do to help.”

 

After some careful instructions, and returning to his bed, Victor took the offered pills, letting himself slowly sink into the sleep that had been evading him since the photos first emerged.

 

After the doctor left Yakov waited and watched until Victor was well and truly asleep. He was angry. So, so angry. Fury, rage ran through his veins, making him see red. But it was anger he wouldn’t let King Victor see. His King, after, all, didn’t know the secret that Yakov had held close to his heart for so many years. The secret that was now begging to be see the light of day. The news that Nikolai might be behind this… that had set the fire burning in Yakov’s heart. He couldn’t let Nikolai get away with this, not again. However much it pained him, he was going to tell the truth. It had been a little over 28 years, but it was time. He couldn’t let Nikolai ruin Victor. His father, King Maxim, had sacrificed so much for him and his future, and because of that he absolutely could not let Nikolai win. He had seen what King Maxim had been through, and had accepted it because he was forced to, but he would not accept what Nikolai was doing to King Victor now. He’d known all those years ago that he should keep the evidence as insurance against Nikolai acting again. And it seemed the time had come to use that insurance.

 

~~~~~~

 

Yuuri paced back and forth in his office while he waited for Phichit. It was late Friday afternoon, the first after the Christmas break, and most of the government workers had called it an early day. He had had a busy day, trying to keep up with all of his usual tasks while his mind was fixed on the King. He knew that he was innocent; he would have known that even had Phichit not shown him the King’s drunken texts. No, King Victor was not that sort of person. Added to that the increasingly cute if obviously inexperienced flirtatious texts Yuuri had been receiving… well, Yuuri hadn’t thought for a minute the photos were depicting the situation accurately.

 

Phichit had contacted Yuuri immediately when they had surfaced, of course, having alerts set for anything related to the King. He had asked Yuuri to do some digging into Nikolai’s networks within government to see if he could find any connections.…which of course he did. The extent of Nikolai’s network had always been a worry to Yuuri, since in a democracy no one person should have that much influence over the workings of government. Yuuri himself had to know so he could avoid certain people for certain matters to ensure policy was carried out the way it was intended to be by the majority… not the way Nikolai intended.

 

And he had found that connection - and it was one that was connected through Nikolai’s most loyal followers. That, in itself was problematic since it meant that a lot of planning had gone into this. It possibly even meant that the scandal was only the tip of the iceberg, as far as their plans went.

 

Yuuri looked at the clock once more. It was already 30 minutes later than Phichit had estimated that he’d arrive, which was not a good sign at all. Then again, nothing coming out of Parliament sessions was good news these days.

 

Yuuri paused by his desk, grabbing his phone before he continued his pacing. He unlocked it and tapped on the string of messages from Victor. The last had been a couple days ago, with Yuuri sending him another congratulatory text regarding his interview and Victor had responded with a string of emojis. Yuuri grinned, shaking his head. Their King was such a dork. It’s too bad not many people got to see that side of him. He stared a his phone a moment more, debating whether to send him a text. He didn’t really have anything to report yet, no real reason to contact him, and he was still feeling a little unsure of whether it was ok to contact him _just_ because.

 

But then again…

 

He knew that the King didn’t have much of a support system. If it hadn’t been obvious before, the way he had started to almost cling to Phichit and Yuuri told the story for him. And right now, he could probably use some support, to know that he had people on his side even when things looked bad. Once, long ago, Yuuri had asked his mentor to just believe in him more than he believed in himself. And maybe that’s what King Victor needed right now - to know that someone believed in him and believed he could push through this, even if he didn’t believe it himself. Resolved, Yuuri unlocked his phone again.

 

**HRM King Victor**

Hey

Nothing to report yet

Phichit & I mtg soon to go over the latest

And figure out next steps

We WILL get you out of this

I know you’re innocent

We believe in you

This too shall pass

He pressed send before he could second guess himself on the emoji. Phichit would probably psychoanalyze it, but Phichit didn’t have to know. Locking his phone and chucking it on his desk, he decided rather than pacing, he ought to do something useful. With that in mind, he walked casually to the staff kitchenette, taking the long way to see who was still around.

 

After touring the office, he discovered that only his own personal secretary, Minami, and a few other assistants were around. Everyone else had left for the day, leaving Phichit and Yuuri very much alone. He made a new pot of coffee, waiting for it to finish before pouring it into an insulated carafe, grabbing two clean mugs, and heading back to his office.

 

He greeted Minami on his way, telling the young man to head home for the day. The kid was so eager, and worked so hard. It was endearing, really, though at times his constant enthusiasm was difficult to deal with for Yuuri who was, at heart, an introvert.

 

By the time he got back, Phichit was there, slumped in one of the guest chairs beside a small round conference table and perusing his phone intently. He nodded his head toward Yuuri in greeting, never taking his eyes off his phone. Yuuri, used to his friend’s mannerisms, simply poured the coffee and waited for Phichit to finish whatever he was doing. Absently, he picked up his phone, noting that he hadn’t received a response to his text yet. Yuuri wondered how he was holding up.

 

“Ok, so things are, in a lot of ways worse than we thought,” Phichit said, finally looking up.

 

“News or what happened in Parliament?” Yuuri questioned - these days one never knew which was worse.

 

“Both, but the most concerning right now is Parliament. There was a lot of rhetoric today about the scandal and the Monarchists seem to be pushing hard to get rid of the remaining of the King’s authority. Their argument is his leadership of the military is unnecessary and in ‘these unsure times the people don’t want the head of such an important organization to be tainted with scandal’. The people want someone they can trust, blah, blah, blah. There’s no doubt in mind mind that this is a set up, Yuuri. The timing is just too perfect. But the problem is, the damage is done. Even if we expose it for what it is, there’s a lot of momentum against the King right now, especially in Parliament.”

 

“And what news of Fleodal?” Yuuri asked with trepidation. “We haven’t seen any more requests that I am aware of, though since you just got here, I suppose they could be sitting in my inbox.”

 

“Nothing as far as policy goes. There was some in camera debating. It seems the Monarchists aren’t exactly on the same page as far as what we’ve done so far and may not be in agreement with whatever Plisetsky and LeRoy are plotting. So I guess that’s good news. Though inaction isn’t helping us at all either. But I guess if we can get this mess straightened out, at least we can be sure there are cracks within the party. I mean, I knew that, but the cracks are becoming even wider are the foreign policy front. Some of the MP’s are under a lot of pressure, getting angry letters from scared constituents demanding that they find a way to avoid war. But unfortunately for us, if we can’t move past this scandal, we have nothing to leverage those cracks with. Plisetsky simply has too much power.”

 

Yuuri sighed, discouraged and both fell into a heavy silence as they contemplated the situation, the only sound the heavy ticking of the school room style clock Yuuri insisted on having.

 

Their silence was broken suddenly by the loud ring of Yuuri’s phone. Startled, he reached out and answered it before he had fully come back to his wits.

 

“Uh, hello, Yuuri Katsuki here,” he stuttered out, rolling his eyes at himself for sounding so unprofessional.

 

“Oh! Yakov! This is a surprise. I wasn’t expecting to hear from you. Please tell me something else hasn’t come up?” Yuuri begged the other man through the phone.

 

Phichit looked up with keen interest, wondering what the hell was going on now that would entice Yakov to contact Yuuri. He didn’t seem the chummy type.

 

A minute later, Yuuri hung up and turned to Phichit. “Well, I’m not sure exactly what’s going on, but Yakov wants us at the Palace in about an hour. And he gave me very strict instructions about where to park and using a side door so we won’t be seen by staff.”

 

Phichit made a confused face, “So he’s hiding us from staff as well? What on earth could be going on that is making him that secretive? I mean the King’s staff is loyal to him, it’s not like there’s government spies to worry about?”

 

Yuuri shook his head, “He didn’t say, Phichit. Not even a hint. But he sounded… angry. Shaken, too. And maybe a bit scared.”

 

“Scared? Now I’m starting to worry.” Phichit let out a long breath. “I guess there’s nothing to do but go along with it and find out what he wants. Did he say how the King was doing?”

 

Yuuri shook his head. “No, not a word. And given how he sounded, I didn’t want to make his mood worse by asking. If the texts you got last night are anything to go by, I assume he’s not doing well. I sent him a text myself earlier, but haven’t had a response yet.”

 

Phichit nodded in response, looking thoughtful. “Well, if we’re due there in an hour, I’d better head back to my office and clear out a few emails before we head out.” He got up, and put a reassuring hand on Yuuri’s shoulder, giving it a quick squeeze as he headed out the door. “I’ll text when I’m ready to go so we can time our arrival together.”

 

“Sure thing,” Yuuri called to Phichit’s back as he was already out the door. Huh, he thought. Phichit must be really upset if he didn’t even ask to see Yuuri’s text to the King or even tease him about it. The reality of the situation hit him suddenly like a punch to the gut, and he sat down hard, staring blankly at the door. Things, at the moment, were looking very, very grim.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will post either 2 or 3 chapters Monday. It... gets more exciting, not less.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And... buckle up kiddos...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Trigger warning for some violence some might find difficult. There’s no blood or anything but I’ve been told it’s a bit intense. To skip, just don’t read the text that is in a block quote. I’ve summarized the important bits in the end notes.
> 
> Also if you have trouble with premature birth, skip everything after where the block quote starts until the paragraph that starts “Yakov looked to Phichit then” (4th paragraph after the quote).

A few hours after making up his mind Yakov found himself pacing in a dusty room, contemplating his decision to finally divulge a secret he had lived with for much too long. It was early evening, but Phichit and Yuuri were due to arrive at any moment. Since leaving the King, Yakov had let his fury boil under his skin to the point where the rest of the Palace staff were actively avoiding him. He embraced his anger, finally allowing himself the luxury to feel the emotions he’d harboured for the last 28 years, and letting that anger be the fuel that would give him the courage to follow through with his plan.

 

Yakov had set everything up in one of the smaller parlours in the Palace, one that King Victor never used. It was furnished rather garishly, Yakov admitted to himself, but perhaps that decoration would be fitting for his upcoming meeting. He had removed some of the dust covers from the furniture that they would need, but had left everything else as it was. The other household staff were unaware of what Yakov was doing, and he wanted to keep it that way. He gave the room one last glance before leaving, and nodded to himself, pleased with the set up. He had brought one of the large carafes that they used for large meetings, ensuring that it was filled with piping hot coffee. It was sitting on one of the side tables, out of the way, with three of the sturdy mugs used by staff, the glint of polished silver of the carafe looking out of place in the neglected room. He suspected it was going to be a long evening.

 

He hastened from the room, wishing to meet Phichit and Yuuri at the door himself so no one else would see their arrival. Luckily it was still early enough that both of them would be heading over directly from their offices in Parliament Row, which meant they would be arriving together. Yakov had emphasized maintaining discretion, and he trusted that they would arrive unseen.

 

As he stood at the side door he had instructed them to use, he went over everything in his head. He didn’t really know what to do with the information he had, but he was confident that after showing it to Phichit and Yuuri, the two of them would know how to take things from there. He looked at his watch; it was 5:55 pm. The King had been asleep for about 6 hours now, so would likely be up soon. Knowing that he was going to be occupied, he had asked Victor’s physician to make sure he was there when he woke up, and to contact him immediately.

 

There was a knock on the door, and Yakov opened it to the strained faces of Phichit and Yuuri. Phichit looked particularly exhausted, he thought, which meant he must have been up through the night trying to figure out how to handle the situation. He put his finger to his lips, indicating that they should be silent, then quietly closed the door and led them to the parlour.

 

When he had closed the door after them, he finally spoke. “Thank you both for coming at such short notice.”

 

But before he could continue, Yuuri spoke up. “How is he, Yakov? The King, I mean. I sent him a text earlier but I didn’t want to bother him any further, as I imagine he was inundated as it was.”

 

“He’s not well at all, Yuuri,” Yakov answered, shaking his head. “And no, he has not been inundated with anything but his own thoughts. Despite what you may think, King Victor doesn’t have any close friends; acquaintances, yes, but no one close enough that would think to contact him at a time like this.” He sighed, but continued, “His physician had to sedate him earlier. He will probably be rising shortly, and when I’m notified I’ll have to slip out for a few minutes.”

 

“I had a suspicion that was the case,” Yuuri responded, his features cast in sadness, “but I didn’t want to be right.”

 

“Being King is lonelier than you could possibly imagine, especially for King Victor who was orphaned and has no extended family,” Yakov responded, smiling sadly at Yuuri. “Which is one of the reasons why his staff is so loyal to him. But, please, sit down, and I’ll explain why I called you here. There’s coffee on the side table, so help yourselves. I’ve prepared some sandwiches for dinner later, it’s not much, I’m afraid, but I couldn’t manage anything else without someone asking what I was doing.”

 

Once all three of them had settled with coffees in hand, Yakov began to speak again. “King Victor had mentioned to me, Phichit, that you had thought that perhaps JJ and Nikolai were behind this. Do you still think that is a possibility?”

 

“Yes,” Phichit responded, clearing his throat, “Everything was staged too carefully for it to have been accidental. The use of people in the crowd is exactly how I would have designed the situation. And I spoke to one of my contacts in public affairs, just casually, but to see her reaction - and she was distinctly uncomfortable talking to me. So something is going on.It was absolutely a set up.”

 

“Actually, I haven’t had a chance to tell you yet,” Yuuri interjected, “but I found the connection between the girl and Nikolai. It turns out that the ‘chaperone’, Yurio, who was the one who originally approached King Victor, is the brother of one of Nikolai’s staff. And not just any member of his staff, but one of his inner circle. I think the fact that he had approached the King to begin with is enough of a connection to draw conclusions from.”

 

Phichit whistled low, “Not that it’s hard evidence, but I agree, it’s difficult to draw any other conclusion since Yurio was quite insistent that the King meet with the girl personally - do you recall, Yuuri, King Victor asked us both about it because he was so uncomfortable?” Yuuri nodded.

 

“I just wanted to make sure that we hadn’t eliminated the possibility that they are the ones behind this, but it sounds like we can safely conclude that they are responsible.” Yakov paused, thinking of how he wanted to phrase the next bit. “As you both probably know, I have been working for the Royal Family for a long time - since 1971 as a matter of fact. I worked in close proximity to King Maxim for quite some time, and I have seen quite a bit; more than a lot of people would suspect. As a result, I am one of the very few people who know the true reason why King Maxim gave up his governmental powers and agreed to the changes to the Constitution Act.”

 

“Wait!” Phichit interrupted. “Agreed to? What do you mean he agreed? I thought that the changes were put forward by the King, not that he had agreed to them.” Yuuri nodded at Phichit’s words.

 

“That was what was publicized, how it was presented, but that is not the case at all. And that fact, and the events of that preceded it, are the crux of why we are here. You see, unbeknownst to the parties at the time, I was present behind the scenes. The Head Butler told me about his suspicions regarding a certain meeting that had been requested, and under his isntruction I arranged to observe discreetly… and luckily I had the prudence to record the whole event.” At his last statement both Phichit and Yuuri raised their eyebrows, both in surprise, and in Phichit’s case with an added hint of amusement.

 

“Yakov! That doesn’t sound like you,” Phichit teased lightly, “but I’m glad that you took the precaution. I take it that’s why the screen is set up?”

 

“Yes, Phichit, and I will show you that tape now. Although after you watch it, I’m not sure you will be glad you did... I’m not sure that you want the knowledge of what occurred. However, I think it’s the only thing that we can use to fix this mess.” Yakov turned and went to the table where he had set a projector and speaker up. He reached under the tablecloth and produced an ancient personal camcorder. It was an old Sony sports handycam, bright yellow as all of them were, though it was in pristine shape for its age. He looked up to see Phichit looking at him particularly doubtfully.

 

“I doubt a tape that old will play, Yakov. Maybe we should take that to an expert so they can remove the images. We don’t want to destroy it by trying to play it.”

 

“Don’t worry, Phichit, it should be fine. Given the contents of this tape, as soon as it was safe to do so, I consulted some audio visual people to make sure that both the camera and the tape would be preserved properly. It’s fine to play it back.”

 

Phichit nodded at him and watched in fascination as Yakov hooked up the ancient system. He still had the manual, and had made sure that every time technology changed that he learned how to make this camera work. He had protected this secret for so long, and he was not willing to risk losing the only remaining evidence. Having finished, he dimmed the lights then pressed play.

 

> The scene was a little grainy, though rather from age, the graininess was just from the poor definition of the technology at the time. The scene appeared to have been filmed from behind some draperies, the dark brocade just visible in the darkness that surrounded Yakov as he was filming. The view from the camera was of a room that was clearly in the palace; it resembled the small parlour that King Victor seemed to favour, though the room in the video was obviously larger and somewhat more ornate.
> 
>  
> 
> The angle of the camera caught the scene from somewhere to the side of the parties. They could see King Maxim sitting in a wingback, Queen Elizaveta in an identical chair beside him on the King’s right, with a small table beside her. The Queen was heavily pregnant, and must have been near the end of her pregnancy. King Maxim was carefully watching the man sitting on the settee in front of him, who was twisted towards the Queen, making his face invisible to the camera.
> 
> “Why it’s a pleasure, Queen Elizaveta, you look fantastic, and so healthy for this stage of pregnancy.”
> 
> The man with his back to the camera was speaking, and he spoke with some sort of hidden meaning behind his words, the knowledge of which was unknown, yet the weight of it was clear even through the poor audio of the tape. The Queen glared back at the man, not deigning to respond. King Maxim was looking more agitated than the Queen, though he clearly had himself in control. The man they were glaring at was easily recognizable from his voice. It was former Prime Minister Virgil Gill, a man who had gone down in Ruzka’s history for having modernized the country’s government. He had retained power for quite some time, serving twelve years total as Prime Minister from 1982- 1994. Also visible in the scene was a much younger Nikolai Plisetsky, who was sitting to the Prime Minister’s left on the settee. Behind the settee were five men, presumably the Prime Minister’s security and staff.
> 
> “Why are you here Gill? Just get on with it,” King Maxim demanded, “My wife and I are quite busy.”
> 
> “Very well, Your Majesty. The reason I’m here is quite simple. As you know from my last campaign, I believe that it’s time that the Monarchy take a step back from the government. It’s time that the government be allowed to truly rule Ruzka without your interference. The time of the Monarchy is in the past, and in order to move forward, Ruzka must become a true republic.”
> 
> The King tensed in his chair, and the Queen leaned forward, her hand cupping her swollen belly protectively. “What exactly do you mean by that, Gill? Are you trying to abolish the Monarchy? Because I can assure you, that is NOT going to happen so long as I am alive.”
> 
> The Prime Minister sat back against the settee, turning to the King and crossing one leg over the other at the knee and smiling. There was something about his smile that didn’t reach his eyes; it was the smile of a predator, and it obviously did not sit well with the King, who was beginning to look uncomfortable.
> 
> “Oh, I realize, King Maxim that complete abolition of the Monarchy is not a possibility at this point. After all, the people generally support your family and your policies. However, what I propose is a gradual step, one that I believe the people will welcome, and come to appreciate in the future. You see King Maxim, what I propose is that you renounce your constitutional powers.”
> 
> “WHAT!!!!?????!!!” The King stood, outrage making his body tremble, though his voice remained strong and sure. “Absolutely not. I will never, NEVER, abandon my people like that. The government exists sheerly at the pleasure of the Nikiforov family. It is only through our benevolence that the Parliament exists at all. To say such a thing to me in itself is treason. How dare you, Gill?!!!” The King turned to look behind him, seemingly about to call for a servant, but the Prime Minister interrupted before he could speak.
> 
> Gesturing to some of his men, he spoke, “Oh I wouldn’t do that, King Maxim. You see, I am not giving you a choice in the matter.” By this time two of the men had circled around and now stood behind the Queen. Nikolai had also risen and was standing by her side, where she watched, wide eyed but silent.
> 
> Prime Minister Gill continued on as if nothing was amiss, “The Monarchist party is not happy with your current policies. It has always been understood that the Monarchists would support the Monarchy, and in turn the reigning King or Queen would support the policies of our party. But you, King Maxim, have gone against that arrangement. And we do not find that acceptable.”
> 
> The King looked ready to explode. “I don’t know what you have been told, but I can assure you, there has never been such an arrangement between the Nikiforovs and the Monarchists. While it may be true that in the past, our policies and philosophies have been aligned, it has never been the intention that the Nikiforovs would ensure that the Monarchists remained in power. Far from it, in fact, because if that were the case it would make a mockery out of the entire Parliamentary system. Now, I would appreciate it if you would step away from my wife before I call my security detail in here to deal with the situation.”
> 
> The Prime Minister turned to his right slightly, obviously trying to keep his expression from the King, but to the camera it was apparent that he was struggling to control a wide smile. He glanced back at the King briefly before looking to Nikolai and giving a nod. Nikolai acknowledged his gesture with a quick upturn of his lip and looked towards the man standing beside him. “You know your instructions.”
> 
> The man whipped a gun out from underneath his blazer and pressed it to the Queen’s temple while the other man held her down to the chair and covered her mouth as she tried to scream. The Queen’s eyes were wild with fear, and the King looked like he wanted to reach toward her, but stopped at the last moment, perhaps deciding that it was not a good idea to make any sudden moves. The camera picked up the hitch of Yakov’s breath, and the scene shook for a brief moment before the camera became steady once again.
> 
> “We are not giving you a choice, Maxim. You have voted against us too many times, and your actions are making the government unstable. The people don’t know what to think when the King is voting against his own government. We can’t let the situation go any further. Nikolai?”
> 
> Nikolai walked back to the settee where he had left a leather portfolio. Unzipping it, he took out a sheaf of papers and handed them to the King. The Prime Minister continued, “This is a bill that you are going to propose and endorse with the changes to the Constitution Act. You will note that we have been generous and let you keep control of the military; however, that is for the sole purpose of being able to say that you are making these changes so that the Monarchy can concentrate on its role of being Ruzka’s protector. Not that you will have any decision making power over the military beyond the day to day administration. If you look, clause 10 limits the ability of the military to do anything except as directed by Parliament.”
> 
> While he was speaking, the Queen began to thrash and fight against the hold the Prime Minister’s man had. The King looked at Gill flatly, “No. I refuse. The Nikiforovs have too much respect for the people of Ruzka to give in to such treasonous actions. You are simply a man who wishes to have more power, you do not have Ruzka’s best interests in mind at all. I will not bend to your will, Gill. You will not kill the Queen, to do so is an instant death sentence, and you know it.” The King slammed the papers down on the table in front of him and sat down, glaring at the Prime Minister.
> 
> The Prime Minister now gave the King he smile that he had previously tried to conceal. “Oh, I think you’re very much going to regret saying that. Nikolai,” he said as he looked over at Nikolai, his voice casual, “why don’t you show the King exactly how serious we are?”
> 
> “Of course, Prime Minister.” Nikolai reached out and grabbed the Queen’s hand, bringing her knuckles to his lips in a tender kiss. He then returned her hand to the table beside her, while bringing out a knife with his other hand. “Please excuse me, your Majesty, this may hurt a little,” he said as he plunged the knife through her hand and into the wood of the table. The man holding Queen Elizaveta down let her go as she shrieked. The King rushed over, but was held back by the man who had been restraining the Queen. The other man never faltered in his grip on his pistol, which was still aimed at the Queen’s head.
> 
> “Elizaveta, Elizaveta, calm, it’s ok, we can get that treated, just calm down or you’ll…”
> 
> At that moment the Queen let out a blood curdling scream of an entirely different type and bent forwards, clutching her belly with her free hand. She screamed again, fear and pain evident in every note.
> 
> They heard Yakov whisper a quiet “Oh my God” as the camera shook again.
> 
> “Elizaveta!!!” The King was frozen in place, obviously having lost control of the situation.
> 
> The Prime Minister settled himself more comfortably on the settee, looking for all the world like he was settling in to watch his favourite television program. With the same manic smile on his face he turned back to the King and said in a deceptively pleasant voice, “Oh my, looks like the wife is in labour, Maxim. Too bad she’s literally stuck here. I can assure you, my man is not going to take his gun off her, so don’t get any bright ideas about calling for help. You’re not going anywhere, and neither is she until you sign that bill.”
> 
> The King turned back to him,his complexion pale, and eyes wide in fear but resigned to the situation. “You are mad Gill, absolutely mad. And you, Nikolai, do not think for a minute that I will forget this. I admit, you have left me no choice. But if I sign this, you have to guarantee that you will release my wife at once. Otherwise I will refuse to do any of the follow up that you have undoubtedly planned.”
> 
> The Prime Minister huffed a laugh, “Of course. After all, I do need you to cooperate, even if it is unwillingly.”

 

Yakov, Phichit and Yuuri watched the last of the video, showing the King signing the bill, and the Prime Minister’s men finally releasing the Queen who immediately fell to the floor clutching her belly, in full labour. The Prime Minister’s party left immediately afterwards, and the video ended abruptly a moment after the last man had left the room.

 

There was a full minute of silence after Yakov stopped the playback and turned the lights back on. He looked at both Phichit and Yuuri, taking in their shell shocked expressions, and attempted to school the same expression from his face. Although he had been there and had taken the footage, he had only watched it once since the actual event. Even though he knew how it ended, reliving it was difficult, but strangely, watching it with this particular company was somewhat of a balm for his anger. This was the first time he had shared this secret, this burden, and it was a relief to know that he didn’t have to bear the burden alone anymore.

 

Yuuri was the first to recover his voice. “King Victor was born four weeks early, was he not? I recall reading that his mother was hospitalized prior to his birth, and they were both hospitalized after, but no real details were ever provided. So this… this is why...” he broke off with a sob that he immediately tried to stifle. “I’m sorry… this is just such a shock. I just need a moment to think this through. The truth - it’s nothing like what we’ve all been lead to believe.” Yuuri went quiet again, his gaze glazing over as he got lost in his own thoughts.

 

Yakov looked to Phichit then, waiting anxiously for him to say something, anything, to break the tense silence, but the man was also lost somewhere in the recesses of his mind, a look of horror on his face. Yakov felt a little guilty, realizing that he hadn’t prepared them as well as he should have. For him, the knowledge was old, and while watching the video was distressing, it was familiar and did not change his world view like it had for Phichit and Yuuri. Admittedly, it had been more violent than he had remembered, though perhaps he had purposely forgotten the heart wrenching agony of the Queen’s screams.

 

He decided to do something useful while his guests recovered and finished gathering their thoughts. “I do apologize, I understand that was a lot to take in. I’ll go and get the sandwiches I’d mentioned. Then perhaps we can discuss how we can use this video.” They both nodded at Yakov, though didn’t speak, and he left the room, practically bolting for the small bussing station by the library where he had stashed their dinner in the station’s mini fridge. While he was on his way, his phone rang, and he pulled it out, noting it was the King’s physician.

 

“Yakov here,” he answered, crisp and to the point, as always. The doctor informed him that the King was awake, and although still very upset, he was much calmer than he had been earlier. Yakov decided to make a brief detour since he was fairly close to the King’s quarters.

 

Upon entering the room, he found the King propped up in bed with a book rather than his phone. He was still pale, but had regained a lot of colour from earlier in the day. “King Victor, I’m glad to see you awake. I hope that you are feeling a bit better?”

 

Victor smiled wanly at him in response. “Well, I don’t feel like I’m dying, so that’s a vast improvement… Yakov...thank you, I needed to see a friendly and familiar face. My physician explained it was a panic attack, but I had no idea that they could be so intense.”

 

Yakov smiled back at him, “Just be glad you don’t generally suffer from anxiety, my King. And for that, I am glad, because what you just went through was terrible.” After watching the video, Yakov felt exceedingly protective of Victor, more so than usual. Remembering what the Queen had been through and how he had been born so early… well, it was a miracle that King Victor was here at all, never mind healthy. There had been many moments back then when they didn’t know how it would turn out.

 

He shook his head mentally, realizing he couldn’t dwell on those thoughts. He did not want Victor to know of the events of the past, and it had been King Maxim’s express instruction not to let Victor know unless absolutely necessary. And it wasn’t quite necessary yet, not if Phichit and Yuuri could handle things. But still, he wanted to offer the King some reassurance.

 

“I have things I need to attend to, but I wanted to stop by and see how you were doing.” At that Victor looked at him, looking like nothing more than a little boy who desperately needed a hug. “I have been in contact with Yuuri and Phichit, and I can assure you that they are working on a plan. Do not be surprised if you don’t hear from them for a while. It’s not that they’ve forgotten about you or don’t support you. It’s the very opposite - they are working hard to turn the situation around. They believe in you, so please take some comfort in that.”

 

The King smiled warmly back at Yakov, surprised. “Why Yakov, here I thought after all these years of disapproval of my activities, that you didn’t care. Thank you, I appreciate your taking the time to let me know. And thank you for looking after me with all this going on.”

 

Yakov was equally surprised - he thought the King knew that Yakov cared for him deeply. He supposed he had held Victor at a distance all these years. Partly because of his disapproval in what he thought was the King’s lack of interest in what was going on with Ruzka, but also because of the secret he held. It had always been difficult knowing that King Maxim had given up everything for not just his wife, but for his then unborn son. So to see him apparently turning his back on his duties had been… difficult to say the least. This moment was a stark reminder of the fact that Victor didn’t know. As far as he was concerned, his father had willingly given up his powers, leaving his son as nothing but a figurehead.

 

A wave of guilt washed over him as he considered the last fourteen years. The King and Queen had died during Victor’s most formative years, and he’d had no one really to guide him, just a series of tutors and royal aides. Yes, his father had brought him up as if he would one day rule, but Victor didn’t know why. He didn’t understand just how corrupt the government truly was. He choked back the emotion that threatened to spill out. “Of course. I will continue to keep you updated.” He bowed and left the room, hurrying to collect the dinner he had prepared earlier and return to Phichit and Yuuri.

 

He realized he had screwed up. Victor deserved more, a lot more, than he had given him. He could have imparted encouragement, hints at the man King Maxim really was. Well, he thought, this was his chance to make things right, for Victor and for Ruzka. Perhaps now he’d be able to ease the burden that had been weighing down his heart for decades.

 

He entered the room to find Phichit and Yuuri deep in conversation. Phichit spun immediately upon hearing the door. “Oh, Yakov, it’s just you.”

 

Yakov raised an eyebrow, “Who else would it be?”

 

“Let’s just say that now I understand why you were so cautious in having us come here unseen, and why there are no other servants around. I’ll admit after watching that video I’m seeing enemies everywhere.”

 

Yakov nodded. “I understand, but I can assure you, we are secure at the moment at least. Even if a servant sees us, it will be fine so long as they don’t see the video. I just wanted to avoid Palace gossip. But the servants are particularly protective of the King, so I can’t see them leaking any information accidentally. And as for spies… well, after the events you’ve now seen, the staff are vetted thoroughly and regularly. Not that there isn’t still a chance that someone squeaked through, but it’s highly unlikely.” Yakov paused, putting the tray of sandwiches down and passing out some small plates. “I brought our dinner - I imagine you must have some questions, but let’s eat and talk.”

 

After they had helped themselves, Yuuri spoke before Phichit could get a word in. “My first question - you implied earlier that King Maxim knew you had taken the video, so why didn’t you release it? Why did he insist on going along with the farce of that bill?”

 

“Yes, he did know, though not until after. At the time, it had seemed a simple meeting, so he only had the previous Head Butler in attendance. After all - who would think that they would need security present while meeting the Prime Minister? Unfortunately the Head Butler at the time was nearing 80 and couldn’t physically help with anything that had happened. But it was on his instructions that I was there to begin with, so the King inevitably found out.”

 

“We implored him to make the video public, and to expose the corruption in the Monarchist party, but the King refused. Just like now, at the time it was a delicate political situation, and the King didn’t want to send the Kingdom into chaos. He thought that it would do more harm than good. And as you know, the Nikiforovs always put the people first. So King Maxim just dealt with the consequences and tried to make the best of things.” Yakov paused, remembering his conversations with the deceased King. “Although he didn’t want to use it at the time, he wanted me to keep the evidence as insurance, in case something similar happened to his son. After all, he did everything to protect the Queen and King Victor, so he wanted his sacrifice to keep protecting his son as long as it could.”

 

“I suppose there is one more thing you should know,” Yakov continued, “Just for your own knowledge now that you know the truth, not that it directly plays into our current situation. When the King died, he had just begun implementing a plan to get his powers back. He had never given up on the belief that he could one day reverse the constitutional changes, and he was finally acting. I just want you to know that he didn’t take this ‘lying down’ so to speak. He never gave up.”

 

“Yakov.” It was Phichit who spoke, though both Phichit and Yuuri were looking at him with the same determined expression, fire burning behind their eyes. “We need to show this to King Victor. He has a right to know what he’s dealing with. And, perhaps more importantly, he has a right to know the truth behind why his father did what he did.”

 

“But that could destroy him,” he responded, his voice a mere whisper in the silence of the room. “You have no idea how he is right now. I can’t do that to him.”

 

Yuuri answered him, “On the contrary, Yakov, I think this is exactly what King Victor needs. Right now he is directionless… he has no reason to fight other than his belief that he needs to serve his people. And now that’s been taken away, and everything has been stripped from him, with the added threat of the abolition of the Monarchy. We need King Victor to find his reason to fight, Yakov, and this is it. This is what will pull the King out of his morose state and spur him to act like the King we know he can be.”

 

Yakov collapsed in on himself, defeated. He knew they were right, but he really, really didn’t want to put Victor through any more pain. “Can it at least wait until tomorrow? It would be nice if we could let him have one night’s good sleep before we spring this on him as well.”

 

Yuuri and Phichit exchanged a look, then Phichit nodded. “I think that’s fine, but it will need to be tomorrow morning, as we need to move on this quickly. That will give Yuuri and I some time to discuss how we think we should proceed from here, and then we will have some sort of plan we can present to the King.”

 

“Very well, then,” Yakov sighed, defeated. “I will schedule a meeting for 11:00 am, and I’ll arrange for lunch to be served at noon. I’ll keep this room set up as is, but I will make sure the camera and video are secure until then.”

 

Their meeting concluded, Yakov led them out of the room, and back out the side door they had used on their arrival. After tidying up the room they had vacated, Yakov took the camera and went back to his room to think things over. He knew he was going to have to handle things carefully with Victor in the next few days. This new knowledge would either make him or break him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **description of video**
> 
> It’s Dec 1988. The video shows the Queen who is heavily pregnant and King Maxim meeting with MP Plisetsky and the then Prime Minister. The Prime Minister demands that King Maxim sign a bill taking his consitutional authority away. He refuses so his goon pulls a gun on the Queen. He still refuses. So Nikolai stabs the Queen in the hand, sends her into premature labour and the King relents and signs the bill to save his wife and unborn child. King Victor is born shortly after.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> King Victor learns of Nikolai’s treachery and makes some difficult decisions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, 2 chapters today :)
> 
> Sigh. There were emojis. Lots of emojis. I gave up trying to get them to post. So just imagine Victor extra with emojis in every text conversation.

_January 7, 2017_

 

The next morning was sunny, and despite the time of year, quite cheerful. Victor was sitting in his favourite chair by the window in his sitting room, looking out at the snow covered scene and listening to the chirping of the chickadees that were eating the bits of fruit, frozen, but still attached to the tree near his window. How the day could look so cheerful when Victor’s life was falling apart, he didn’t know, but still, the scene lightened his heart a bit. He remembered then that Yakov had come by the previous night and reassured him that Phichit and Yuuri were working on a plan. He knew if anyone could find a way to turn this around, it would be Phichit. Yuuri would handle logistics and even find some support within government for Victor, but Phichit was the master of public opinion.

 

After a perfunctory knock, the door of his room opened behind him and he turned around to find Yakov, with his physician in tow.

 

“Good morning, Your Majesty. You have a meeting in about an hour that was scheduled at the last minute, so we thought we’d just do a quick check to see how you are doing,” Yakov announced as he nodded towards the physician.

 

Victor stayed where he was as his doctor did a quick check of his vital signs and asked him a few cursory questions. Pronouncing him fine, the physician left him with some anti-anxiety medication and detailed instructions for its use in the event he suffered another panic attack.

 

“I take it the last minute meeting is with Yuuri and Phichit?” Victor inquired of Yakov after the door closed behind the physician.

 

“Yes, Sir. There’s… something we need to show you, King Victor. Information that it was agreed that you need to know and will help us deal with this mess that Nikolai has created.” Yakov was speaking carefully, as if he was suddenly afraid to say the wrong thing. Which of course immediately made the King cautious.

 

He raised an eyebrow, “Oh? Well, that certainly sounds interesting. Is it something new that the two of them found in the last day? They sure work quickly.”

 

“Um, no, no it is not.” Yakov sighed heavily, suddenly looking much older than his sixty three years. “I’m sorry, King Victor, but I’d rather not say more until the meeting. And then after, we can discuss how to move forward. When I spoke to Yuuri this morning, he mentioned that he and Phichit had some ideas, but ultimately, it will be your decision based on what you are most comfortable with.”

 

Victor noted Yakov’s hesitance and became alarmed. He stayed silent a moment contemplating Yakov’s words. “Ok, Yakov, I will agree to leave it at that for now.” Victor watched as the Head Butler visibly let some of the tension lift from his frame at his words.

 

“Thank you, Sir. I’ll return here to escort you to the meeting after Yuuri and Phichit have arrived. We will be meeting in one of the unused parlours… for privacy.” With Victor’s nod of acknowledgement, Yakov departed, leaving Victor alone with his apprehension.

 

While he got ready he thought hard on what Yakov had said and his uncharacteristic demeanour. Apparently it was not new information Yakov was referring to, and the way he was acting… was it guilt? Had Yakov been hiding something from him that he was now worried would cause Victor to be angry? If so, he couldn’t imagine what it could be. But beyond guilty, Yakov had looked downright frightened, something he didn’t even think the other man was capable of. Not the strong, steady, stalwart Yakov Feltsman.

 

With his heart rate having increased in trepidation of whatever was to come, Victor found himself slipping the bottle of pills his physician had left into his coat pocket as a precaution. If this was a serious as it appeared, it wouldn’t do for him to be rendered incapable as he had been the night before. The morning sunshine had given him perspective and determination both. He was not going to let the machinations of politicians ruin his life. He was a Nikiforov, after all, and it was about time he started acting like one.

 

~~~~~~

 

A little over an hour later Victor found himself being lead down a back hallway to one of the smaller parlours. It was a room that was decorated in the garish style of 100 years ago, and not one that had been used in his memory. It was in a part of the Palace that was rarely used, and Victor found himself idly wondering if maybe he should have it redecorated and put to his own use. It would be nice to have a space that was off the beaten track, so to speak.

 

When they arrived, Phichit and Yuuri were already seated, though they rose and bowed in greeting. Both looked pale and exhausted, and Victor couldn’t help his unease with what was to come. After sitting in a chair that Yakov had indicated, Victor’s curiosity grew even more. There was a screen and a projector set up, so obviously he was going to watch a recording. He looked at his companions, and noted that now all three of them looked like they were about to attend their own funerals. Victor felt his anxiety start to rise, and decided to take control of the situation before his fear took control of him.

 

“Yakov mentioned that you had some information that would be useful in dealing with this scandal. He has not said more than that, but judging from the ominous look on your faces, this appears to be much more serious than I’d thought.”

 

Phichit glanced at Yakov before speaking, looking unsure at first as to who should take the lead. “Yes, King Victor, I’m afraid it really is. There is, however, no doubt that we can use this information for leverage to address the scandal. I believe we have enough intel to conclude who is responsible for it. But… this… this goes even beyond that. King Victor, what you are about to see is… disturbing. I’m afraid that you in particular are going to be very upset. Yuuri and I debated whether or not we should show you this, but in the end, we think that not only do you need to know for your present circumstance, but you also have a right to know, and to make your own decisions about how we proceed from here. Yakov agreed with us, albeit reluctantly, but after a night to think about it further, I am even more sure that you need to know. Yakov, do you want to explain the background before you show the video?”

 

Victor’s pulse had quickened even more, and he turned to Yakov almost with dread. Yakov was fiddling with an ancient Sony camcorder he’d pulled from somewhere, hooking it up to the projector. He started at the sound of his name. Still holding onto the cable he had been working with, he turned to Victor, now looking fearful. “Ah, yes… What I am about to show you, King Victor is footage that I filmed myself many, many years ago at the request of the then Head Butler. It was ah… a little over 28 years ago.” Victor felt his breath hitch and unconsciously his hand came down hard on the arm of the chair with a very loud thump, startling his companions. For it to have been 28 years ago… it could only be about his father making the amendments to the Constitution Act.

 

“Was my father aware of this recording?” Victor interrupted, his voice loud in the otherwise silent room.

 

Yakov was looking down at his shoes, cord forgotten in his limp hands, his posture slumped and defeated. “Yes, your Majesty, he was. His instructions were to keep you from seeing the contents unless it was absolutely necessary.”

 

“Relax, Yakov, it’s not like I’m going to send you to the executioner’s stand.” Victor tried to modify his voice, having realized that the source of Yakov’s fear wasn’t how he would react to the recording, but that he was worried that Victor would be angry with him. “Pardon my reaction, but you have to understand that I was not at all prepared for this.”

 

“We know, King Victor.” It was Yuuri who spoke this time, with a sympathetic smile on his face that was meant to be reassuring, but failed miserably. “I’m afraid that it’s going to be worse than you can imagine. There’s nothing we can say to prepare you for what you’re about to see, but please trust that we will be here for you. I’m sorry, your Majesty, but I think you’ll understand better in a few minutes.”

 

The whine of the projector as it started up startled Victor and he turned back around to the screen. Without any more discussion, Yakov pressed play, and the image of his late father filled the screen.

 

~~~~~~

 

Victor sat with his hands over his face, tears streaming down his cheeks and his throat raw from the sobs that he had been unable to suppress. He hadn’t spoken since the video played, and the others were giving him space to sort out his emotions and pull himself together. He was grateful for that since his dignity had fled shortly after the video had started.

 

He wasn’t sure how he felt, exactly. It was some sort of cocktail of anger, hate, grief, fear, relief, betrayal, admiration… He tried to focus, to sort out his reactions. Obviously towards Nikolai he felt anger and betrayal. Mixed in with that was a healthy dose of fear and disgust. The way he had kissed his mother’s hand before stabbing her… he was obviously a very sick man. But towards his father… he felt relief. Relief that he hadn’t betrayed his own values, that he hadn’t given it all up willingly. And respect. To have stood up to Prime Minister Gil and Nikolai for as long as he had took guts. Not to mention how he had acted afterwards, how he had been forced to act. And, oh, OH, his mother. What she must have gone through, all the while trying to remain calm. He knew, of course, that he had been premature, but to see why, to know why both he and his mother had nearly died in childbirth… it was unforgivable.

 

He rubbed his temples, a little calmer now that he had started to make sense of the emotions roiling through him. Finally, after another minute, he felt he was able to engage in rational conversation. He looked up to see his companions watching him, concerned and focused on how he was handling it. He didn’t feel capable of smiling, but he nodded in reassurance.

 

“Ok, I understand why all the concern, and all the secrecy. This is certainly earth shattering…” he paused, stifling another sob. Earth shattering didn’t even begin to describe the situation… the evidence of the treason committed by Nikolai, and the lengths that he was willing to go… it was almost unbelievable. To have personally harmed the Queen is an instant death sentence, and for Nikolai to risk that… he must be both desperate and sure of his final goal. “Nikolai’s actions also demonstrated that the Monarchists have been corrupt for a lot longer than I think any of us, outside of Yakov, had suspected.”

 

Phichit huffed a short derisive laugh. “Corrupt doesn’t even begin to cover it. Rotten to the core, is what they are, or at least the central figures within the party. King Victor, this just makes it more important that you step up and reverse those changes, you realize.” Phichit pinned Victor with a piercing gaze, obviously wanting to see if he would rise to the challenge.

 

Victor nodded. “Phichit, I can assure you, nothing has ever been more clear to me. We must reverse the amendments. I can’t in good conscience let Ruzka fall prey to those bastards. Even if we weren’t on the brink of a world war, this cannot be allowed to continue. ...However, it also explains a lot about how Ruzka has found itself where it is now. Yakov had mentioned that you two had some ideas on how to proceed. Why don’t we start with that?”

 

Yuuri spoke first. “The initial choice is rather simple - it boils down to whether you want to release the recording to the public or not. There are a lot of options for how we handle each scenario, but that is the first choice that you need to make.”

 

“There are a lot of considerations, a lot of potential outcomes for each scenario,” Phichit added, “we can’t recommend one or the other. This is too personal, so we both think that you need to weigh the options without being influenced by our opinions.”

 

They were right, Victor thought. Did he want the public to have this information? Did he want people to know how heroic his parents were, or to look upon him with pity when they realized why he had been born so early? Part of him wanted to release it, wanted to clear his father’s name. But his father had wanted to keep this secret for a reason, and it must have been a good one. If he released the information, Nikolai would be arrested on the spot, and an investigation launched into the Monarchist party to find anyone else who was involved. This would take Nikolai down, but wouldn’t reflect on Prime Minister LeRoy. JJ was just entering politics at that point, so he would not have been involved at all. And would this information distract from his own scandal? It certainly wouldn’t clear his name, in fact it would just draw more attention to him.

 

Which begs the question… just how would the people react? They had lost all confidence in Victor, even calling for an end to the Monarchy - but then they would be faced with a scandal that would shake their confidence in the government. Who would they be able to turn to? No, Victor thought, the answer was actually quite clear. Despite the fact that he would love to see his father’s name cleared, and for the people to realize how much their former king had sacrificed, to do so would be selfish and would likely just make the whole situation worse.

 

While Victor had been in thought, Yakov and Yuuri had dismantled the projector and screen, placing the camera carefully to the side. Phichit, of course, was on his phone as was always the case when he wasn’t speaking directly to someone.

 

“I think there’s only one option,” Victor announced, “We can’t let the information be made public. Not yet, at any rate.”

 

All three looked at him in surprise, obviously not expecting that Victor would make that choice. He continued, explaining his reasoning, “It’s true that releasing that video would restore my father’s reputation and remove Nikolai from the equation, which might serve to temper JJ, at least somewhat. However, it would not be effective in addressing the current political situation, or to clear my name. The end result of that scenario would to leave the people with no one that they felt they could trust to govern Ruzka, and with the chaos that would cause, it would only serve to destabilize the political situation further. So while it may be personally satisfying, I don’t believe that is the best path forward. Instead, I think that we need to use the information to beat JJ and Nikolai at their own game. As you alluded to in our first meeting, Phichit, it’s time to resort to blackmail.” At the last Victor finally smiled, though it was small and tight. He knew he would likely succumb to the despair that he felt hovering over him, but for now he forced himself to function, to move forward. After all, he was a Nikiforov, and his people needed him right now, perhaps more than ever.

 

Phichit smiled back at him, encouragingly. “Now that, we can definitely move forward with. I think the first order of business though, is to make several copies of that video, and make sure that the original is secured.”

 

“No,” Yuuri interrupted, looking at his watch, “the first order of business is lunch.” He looked over at Yakov. “And for you too, Yakov. This has been extremely hard for you as well. We need to think clearly and it’s not doing us any good to let our blood sugar levels get too low. Phichit and I can escort the King to the small parlour where you said they would be serving lunch. Why don’t you go secure the camera and get yourself fed as well? I think the break from this discussion would also do us all some good.”

 

Yakov nodded his agreement solemnly, “Thank you for your concern, Yuuri, I will do as you suggest.”

 

The group broke for lunch, the three walking in silence to the small parlour the King favoured.

 

Lunch had been a rather somber affair, each of the three lost in thoughts of their own. For the sake of appearances since there were servants present, they managed to keep a light conversation flowing, mostly about the state of several bills whose progress through Parliament had been halted due to the Christmas break. Although Parliament had resumed after Christmas, the usual legislative business would not start until the next debate session, which was scheduled to start on the 16th, giving Phichit one last week of break, and Yuuri one week to prepare for the chaos that always happened when Parliament was in session full time.

 

After lunch Victor headed to the library, leaving Yuuri and Phichit to be escorted out by the footman. They walked silently down the Palace hallways, their steps falling heavily on the thick carpets, laden with emotion, and both deep in thought.Once they found themselves by their cars, Yuuri spoke, quietly and carefully. “Phichit, have you given any further thought to what we have learned could mean in terms of other events that may have been influenced by certain persons?”

 

Phichit looked up at him, scrutinizing his expression for any hint of what he could be alluding to. “Some, I mean, how could I not? But I don’t think we’ll be able to puzzle that out now, and even if we could, I don’t think it will help us move forward with the current situation.”

 

Yuuri looked at him dead in the eye, searching. Apparently finding what he was looking for, he spoke again, so softly that Phichit had to lean forward to hear him. “There are two things that stand out for me right now. The first, was the expression on Nikolai’s face when he stabbed the Queen. That was the look of a man who was very pleased with the whole situation. The second was something Yakov said last night, something I don’t think anyone else had been aware of. Phichit, he told us that King Maxim was working on a plan to reverse the constitutional changes, and that he had just started to act on that plan before he died…”

 

Phichit’s face paled as he took in what Yuuri was saying. “You don’t mean… you don’t think… could he have…?”

 

“Killed the King and Queen?” Yuuri whispered. “You saw his expression. Can you tell me that he wouldn’t have happily done the deed then and there?”

 

“I think… I think we need to do some very, very discreet investigating, Yuuri. Let’s get in touch a bit later. I think I need to wrap my head around the implications first. We are going to be treading on very thin ice, so we’ll have to make sure we approach this extremely carefully.”

 

“I know, Phichit, believe me, I know. Let me know when you’re ready to talk.”

 

Phichit nodded his agreement, and the two went to their vehicles and left the Palace, both a little paranoid, watching carefully to make sure they weren’t being followed.

 

But despite their paranoia, neither noticed the nondescript vehicles that followed them once they left the Palace grounds.

 

~~~~~~

 

Victor had gone straight to the library after lunch, needing some time to himself. He took out his phone and looked at it for the first time since he had had his panic attack the day before. There was nothing really new, the same headlines, the same kinds of tweets, the same demands for abolishing the Monarchy. The bad news was that the public’s rage hadn’t died down to speak of. The good news was that it hadn’t gotten any worse, a fact for which Victor was extremely grateful.

 

But the better news… there was an unread text from Yuuri waiting for him

 

**Yuuri <3**

Hey

Nothing to report yet

Phichit & I mtg soon to go over the latest

And figure out next steps

We WILL get you out of this

I know you’re innocent

We believe in you

This too shall pass

<3

 

Victor smiled. Yuuri was obviously trying to cheer Victor up. It was a good reminder that he wasn’t totally alone anymore. It was clear from the care everyone had shown him today that they worried about him. That he, _Victor,_ mattered. Not just King Victor. And that very fact helped immensely. For the first time since his mother died he felt like he had people who supported him, who valued him for himself. With that in mind, he quickly replied.

 

**Yuuri <3**

 

Thank you, I just saw this now

It means a lot

Like a LOT a lot

Having you and Phichit supporting me

Has meant the world

Please…

Call me Victor from now on

Sometimes I just need to be Victor

 

Putting his phone to the side, he contemplated his new perspective - his world view had shifted dramatically since he had woken up that morning. He had woken up thinking that he was little more than the failed son of a cowardly king. Now he was the determined son of a brave man who had sacrificed everything for his family, and for him.

 

And now it did all make sense. Yakov had told him that he’d been educated as if he would truly rule one day, that he had been trained and treated as if he would have the Monarch’s full constitutional authority. And the reason - because his father had believed Victor would, had believed that he’d be able to rectify everything. But he had died before he could make it happen.

 

Knowing he was in a safe place, and that the only person who would bother him here was Yakov, Victor let himself think back on the video he had watched, especially on the sordid details - the fear on his mother’s face, the pain heard in her scream, and the moment she went into early labour. And his father - the strength he exuded, his anger and his heartbreak, all laid bare for Victor to see, to understand… to witness. As he shifted in his chair he felt the shape of the pill bottle in his pocket, the one that he had brought thinking the worst of his problems was his reputation. … well, ok, to be fair, the future of the Monarchy was what was at stake. He supposed he was allowed to be upset about that. But watching his father and how he had dealt with a much more serious, more violent situation, he couldn’t help but feel weak. After all, he had encountered a much less stressful situation and had come completely undone.

 

He couldn’t let that happen again; he couldn’t afford to give in to his panic. No, from here on out, the gloves were off. He would take his anger and forge it into determination. He couldn’t let his father’s sacrifice come to nothing. His father had relinquished a king’s powers to ensure he and his mother were safe. But he had never truly given up, and Victor knew that he had to follow through and regain his constitutional powers. With that thought in mind, he took one of the pills from the bottle, swallowing it dry. It wouldn’t do to be out of commission from another panic attack. Instead, he’d listen to his physician and take it now when he was just starting to feel an attack coming on.

 

He looked up to a gentle knock at the door. It was Yakov, later than Victor had expected, but he had still come. “Come in, Yakov.”

 

His butler looked at him like a dog expecting his master to beat him, tail between his legs and shame written across his face. “Your Majesty, I want to apologize.”

 

Ah, Victor thought, here it was. He had been half expecting this, realizing that Yakov must have felt a divided loyalty between himself and his father. “King Victor, Yakov. I thought we had established there was no need for such formality.”

 

Yakov’s pale face pinked slightly at the last statement, for which Victor was glad. He couldn’t stand the thought of going back to the cold, distant relationship he and Yakov had previously shared.

 

“Ah, yes, King Victor. I just wanted to apologize for keeping this from you for so long. I know you’ve had… mixed feelings about your father, and a lot of unanswered questions before he died.”

 

“But you said that he asked that you keep this a secret?”

 

“Yes, he did. I don’t know if King Maxim planned to use the video to reverse the constitutional amendments, or he just wanted to keep it secret in the event he needed blackmail material. In any event, he had instructed me to make sure that the evidence was safe and preserved, but also to never show it to you unless it was absolutely necessary. And, Sir, I deemed it necessary now given that the Monarchy itself is being threatened and Ruzka stands on the brink of war.”

 

Victor was careful to meet Yakov’s eyes, the other clearly struggling to maintain his gaze. “It’s ok, I understand Yakov. After all, neither of us know what my father’s ultimate plan was. I’m sure he must have had a good reason for asking you to keep this from me, and you can relax, I am not angry, and I don’t blame you.”

 

Though still tense, Yakov visibly relaxed somewhat with his words. “I know you’ve struggled to understand your father. There has been distance between you two since you were born. But please understand, the distance came about because King Maxim doubted that he had done the right thing. He didn’t want to leave the situation he’d created for you to deal with as it was, but yet, he didn’t know how to protect you. And at the same time, he knew how things would look, that you would grow to doubt him. But I can assure you, King Maxim always acted out of love, whether it was love for his people or love for his family.”

 

“Yes, Yakov, I think I understand that now. It will take some time until I can fully appreciate the sacrifices he made, and I know that in some ways, I need to relearn who Father was. But honestly, that can wait. Right now we have more pressing matters to deal with, and I refuse to back down. I cannot leave Ruzka in the hands of people that would stoop to measures like that for power.“ He paused, rubbing his temples where a headache had seemed to take up permanent residence. “It makes you wonder, doesn’t it - what else has been going on in government? If this is what we know, what are the things we don’t know? This has to stop, Yakov, and it stops with me.” Having given voice to his thoughts and made his declaration, Victor faced Yakov, jaw set and eyes unwavering.

 

Yakov smiled back at Victor, his doubts gone for the moment as Victor’s speech had, like a strong wind after a storm, blown away the dark clouds that had crowded his heart. Instead of worry, his heart swelled with pride. Victor was Maxim’s son, indeed.

 


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri and Phichit have suspicions. JJ enjoys King Victor’s downfall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2 chapters again today :)

_January 7, 2017, late afternoon_

**Yuuri**

 

I’ve been thinking more about

Our conversation earlier

Well, honestly I can’t think

Of anything else

I reviewed the news footage

From the time and I

Think you might be right

I know, Peach

I don’t think we can ignore the possibility

With what we know

It’s entirely consistent with his MO

And…

What?

Well, as I’d said before

He’s abusive towards the staff

Like to a degree that could warrant

A criminal charge.

It’s an open secret.

I admit I’ve heard rumours

But you know I wouldn’t stand for that

If I witnessed it myself

I would have reported it immediately

That sort of predatory behaviour

Has no place in Ruzka’s government

Yes, well…

There are rumours of worse.

Let’s just say I’m not surprised

To see him enjoying using a knife…

WTF???!!!!!

RU SERIOUS?????

Unfortunately yes

We need to be careful Phichit

VERY VERY careful.

I got that already

But…

DAMN

I think we need to engage

The King’s security

There’s only so much I can do

Without tipping him off

And the King has special

Intelligence agents

He should be able to rely on

the military intelligence too…

They’re loyal to him since

They’re sworn to protect the monarch

I can get them access to govt systems

ALL system access

But I can use govt people I trust

To investigate first

See if there is anything first

I understand…

So should we get in touch with Yakov?

I imagine King Victor is busy…

The whole turn your world upside down

And watch your mother be tortured thing and all

:/

Yes, let’s tell Yakov just as a head’s up

But really

He dealt with it well

Like really, really well

It gives me hope

I think he can do it

Like really actually be a real king

The king that Ruzka needs right now

I think so too

I thought that would destroy him

… it would have destroyed me

But he just sucked it up

And is now more determined than ever

I think we are seeing

Why the Nikiforovsbecame

the monarchs to begin with…

Agreed…

I won’t even tease you about your crush

If I was so inclined I’d have one too at this point

Do u want to contact Yakov

Or should I?

I will

I’ll let you know after I talk to him

Ok…

Take care

As in be VERY careful

Aren’t I always?

U2 though.

TTYL

 

~~~~~~

 

After speaking to the King, Yakov had spent the afternoonattempting to figure out how to make copies of the video tape. He needed to find an expert he could trust, but he wanted an idea of what was involved first. And he learned… the internet was too big of a place for an old man like him. He just didn’t know how to whittle down the results to something useful.

 

Sighing, he gave up for the time being. And good timing too, as his phone rang, the call display showing Yuuri’s number. He answered it eagerly, looking forward to hearing what the next steps would be. He’d been beyond anxious, still feeling somewhat guilty for setting the whole thing in motion, yet knowing that it was the best course of action. He was really relying on Yuuri and Phichit to know how to move this forward; although he had the evidence, he was too close to the situation to have clear judgement. He’d spent almost half his life guarding this secret, after all, and on top of that, it felt like the last responsibility, the last command, that King Maxim had given him. Perhaps it was because they were so close in age, but Yakov had always felt a special bond with King Maxim. He had never been the same after Maxim and the Queen had died.

 

He answered his phone to the anxious voice of Yuuri, which startled him as being anxious was seemed completely out of character for him.

 

“Yakov, good that I got you. Phichit and I have been discussing where we go from here, and we have decided that we need to gather some more information before moving forward.”

 

Yakov responded, slightly puzzled, “Oh, are you looking to definitively link Nikolai to the scandal?”

 

Yuuri paused, and Yakov could hear the sound of the wind over the phone at his end. Finally he spoke again, “Yakov, it might be premature to bring this up, but… have you ever wondered about the accident?”

 

“I’m sorry, Yuuri, I don’t know what you are getting at. What accident?”

 

“2003.”

 

It hit Yakov like a tonne of bricks then. He could only be referring to the accident that killed the King and Queen. Was he suggesting that they thought that Nikolai had been somehow involved? But it was an accident… wasn’t it?Yakov didn’t know what to think.

 

“Yakov? Are you still there? Are you ok?” Yuuri’s voice had risen in pitch and the panic he heard in it shook him out of his thoughts.

 

“Oh, ah yes, sorry about that. That was just… something I hadn’t considered before.” Yakov paused again, trying to pull himself back together. “But, um, yes. I understand. We should know if that’s a possibility.”

 

“I’m sorry to have brought it up like that out of the blue. We don’t have anything solid on it, but given the circumstances, Phichit and I felt that it was something that we needed to explore further. We’re hoping that it’s not the case of course, but we need to be certain.”

 

Yakov didn’t want him to be right, didn’t want him to find anything, but he had an inkling that he was probably right. The timing of the accident was just too perfect in terms of stopping King Maxim from taking action to reverse the constitutional changes. He hadn’t thought about it at the time, too wrapped up in his grief, but Nikolai’s actions towards Victor had reminded him just how ruthless Nikolai could be.

 

“Yuuri… you may be onto something actually. We do have a security protocol in place for circumstances like these where… there may be a threat to the King’s life. So if you find anything… let me know immediately so I can take the appropriate actions.”

 

“Thanks, Yakov. I knew that we could count on you. One last thing - let’s not share this with King Victor yet. I think after this morning he has enough to deal with, and unless we find anything it’s all speculation anyway.”

 

“Yes, I agree. Although I did check in with him earlier, and I’m happy to say he’s dealing with everything much better than I expected. In fact, he seems even more determined now. So I’m confident that whatever we find, the King will be able to handle it. The Nikiforovs really do have backbones of steel.”

 

Yuuri chuckled softly into the phone. “That they do, Yakov, that they do.”

 

After exchanging goodbyes, Yakov made his way to his private office and sat at his desk, staring at the telephone that held the secure, direct land line that would connect him to the head of the King’s personal security and, if necessary, Christophe, the Commander of the Ruzka Intelligence Corps. Never in a million years had he envisioned having to use this line. In King Maxim’s time, perhaps, because he actually wielded power. But for King Victor? Who would be interested in threatening the life of a mere figurehead? And Victor hadn’t engaged in any of the sort of activities that would invite an assassination attempt. His life so far had been completely frivolous, which, in retrospect, had meant that they really hadn’t had to consider security very seriously.

 

He sat, absorbed in thought and trying to wrap his head around his conversation with Yuuri. The implication - that King Maxim and Queen Elizaveta had been murdered - that was not something that had ever entered his mind. At the time there had, of course, been an inquest into their deaths. But it had been done by the Parliamentary offices, not the offices of the military since there was no obvious evidence of foul play. Everyone at the time had assumed it was a civil matter, and since the driver of the truck that had hit them had also died, the matter had not been pursued as vigorously as it might have been otherwise. But perhaps they had been naive… other parts of the world had experienced terrorist attacks, but the thought of some sort of suicide attack had never occurred to anyone at the time.

 

But now… Yakov had to wonder. Nikolai was ruthless, he knew that. But he’d thought he’d gotten what he wanted from King Maxim - he thought it was over. Yakov couldn’t think of what it was that Nikolai had to gain since the King’s death had no bearing on whether he won his seat in Parliament.

 

He took a deep breath and looked over to the phone. He dearly hoped that in all his years of service he would never have to use it… but it looked like the question was becoming not if, but when.

~~~~~~

 

_January 10, 2017_

 

JJ had asked Nikolai to meet him for dinner so they could go over the progress with the latest of their political plans. It seemed that the scheme Nikolai had come up with to implicate the King in a scandal was working quite well.

 

Although, ‘quite well’ was an understatement. JJ hadn’t expected the level and depth of public outrage that could come from a simple photo, and an ambiguous one at that. When the story broke, JJ had felt a momentary sympathy for Victor; after all, he really hadn’t done anything wrong. In fact, if anything, the story they had created was the exact opposite of the King’s character. But those photos, the angle… it was damning. Combined with his reputation as being a partier and playboy, and well, it wasn’t that surprising, really. It was his own damn fault for not engaging with the people like the public figure he was supposed to be.

 

But more importantly, he was no longer an obstacle. JJ had plans for Ruzka, great plans. He would be the Prime Minister that would see Ruzka regain its territory, becoming the greatest empire in history as it once was. The future of Ruzka was glorious, and he would be the one that would guide Ruzka into that great future. He knew he would have to be careful of Nikolai - Nikolai craved power for power’s sake alone. The man was greedy and craved control above anything else. And the control he craved wasn’t the power to lead, but something darker, more twisted. Nikolai needed to have everyone and everything at his mercy, to do with as he pleased. JJ wasn’t sure exactly what his end goal was, but he knew that he had to be careful that he himself didn’t become just an end to his means. Thus, the meeting tonight.

 

He had ordered the Parliamentary kitchen staff to set up a simple dinner that they could serve themselves in one of the smaller conference rooms for a ‘working dinner’. Nothing unusual on Parliament Row, nothing that would draw attention. He had found that it was the best course of action to have ‘secret’ meetings in public. That way there was nothing to suspect. That had been one of King Victor’s biggest mistakes - in trying to hide the meetings he was having with Phichit and Yuuri it just had become more obvious that they were doing something they didn’t want others to know about.

 

Besides the situation with the King, they had to discuss the next steps with respect to foreign policy. They had received a number of demands from various countries that had to be addressed. A proper response needed to be formulated and they also needed to discuss how Ruzka was going to start taking the offensive, and not just in the political sphere. It was time to engage the military. JJ nearly salivated at the thought. Ruzka hadn’t tried an offensive maneuver in countless years - 200 or so.

 

And it was time.

 

Time for Ruzka to take back what it once had and reclaim its place as the world leader. And that path inevitably meant war, but he knew Ruzka didn’t have to fear war. After all, their military strength was sound. And with their own exclusive supply of opryx, their technology was far beyond that of other countries. He doubted they would even have that many casualties. With all the weapons and defence mechanisms they had developed, it should be an almost bloodless war, on Ruzka’s side at least.

 

With these thoughts on his mind, he entered the conference room, to find the staff just finishing up. Nikolai hadn’t arrived yet, but JJ was a little early as his previous meeting had wrapped up earlier than he’d expected. He settled at the table, making rather a show of organizing his papers - they were from his last meeting, but the staff wouldn’t know that. The documents he needed remained in his portfolio, away from any prying eyes.

 

Nikolai arrived shortly after the staff had left, pulling the door closed to ensure their privacy. They had selected one of the conference rooms without any glass walls, so they didn’t have to worry about prying eyes. Nikolai had told JJ that chances were that Phichit would figure out they were behind the scandal, and would probably have people trying to keep tabs on them ...and JJ did not want any interference with the next stage of their plans.

 

They both helped themselves to some of the food that had been left for them, JJ absently noting to himself that perhaps they could save some money by cutting back on the portions they served at meetings like this since it really was a ridiculous amount of food for two people. They enjoyed their dinner in relative silence, occasionally exchanging a general pleasantry or comment on the antics that they expected would occur when some of the upcoming bills were debated. Once they were finished and had pushed their plates to the side, JJ decided it was time to get down to business.

 

“So, Nikolai, let’s start with the King. From what I can tell, things are going even better than expected, but what are staff reporting on that front?”

 

Nikolai removed a file from his briefcase and produced a paper. “My media people have been keeping close tabs on both the mainstream news and social media. It appears that the situation is not only what we had hoped for, but it’s gone beyond even what we had expected. The demographic analysis shows that he’s lost support in all age brackets, but most particularly in the 44- 54 and 18-24 age brackets. And those are the most active voters. The 25-34, 35-44 and 45-54 brackets show some loss of support. The 55 - 64 and 65+ show no almost no change, but then, those aren’t active in social media so it’s difficult to say where they stand. The ‘VictorIsNoNikiforov’ tag is still very active, though it stopped trending two days ago.”

 

“And have they been tracking the comments to see what people are saying?”

 

“Of course. The summary says that comments are shifting from the political side to discussions of sexual harassment in general. So we’ve lost some momentum as far as the people wanting to abolish the Monarchy… but Victor is still losing support. I think with how we are moving with our foreign policy, we can get the conversation back to where we want it. After all, there’s nothing like a successful war to ensure the people’s trust in their leaders - and those leaders are us, not the King. Overall, I’m not too concerned. We already had plans in place to abolish the Monarchy, the scandal and its fallout are really just icing on the cake.” JJ replaced the paper in the file and took out another one.

 

“What is more interesting to me is the report on the King’s staff. It seems that the Head Butler has been rather… active lately.” Nikolai grimaced at the paper in front of him, as if the paper itself had caused him some sort of insult.

 

“What do you mean? Why would his butler be active? He’s just part of the household staff, isn’t he?”

 

“Well, yes and no,” Nikolai replied, still with a sour look on his face. “It’s a fairly well kept secret, but in the Nikiforov family, the Head Butler has always been more like a chamberlain - they oversee all of the household staff, yes, but above that they supervise all of the Monarch’s staff. So that would include the King’s personal security. If there is ever anything going on that the King wants to keep secret, the first indication will be the activities of the Head Butler.”

 

“Wow... I had no idea,” JJ replied, impressed. He wondered how Nikolai how come about that piece of knowledge. Then again, Nikolai seemed to know more about the Nikiforov family than anyone outside the Royal household.

 

“Yes, well, no one does really. I have made quite the study of the Royal Family over the years, as I knew this day would come at some point. In fact, I’ve been working on it for some time… the day that Ruzka decided to treat the Nikiforovs like the relics they are and move forward as a proper country.”

 

Nikolai looked quite proud of himself for someone who spouted treason like he was reciting a childhood story, JJ thought. He must be very, very confident when the consequences to his words was an automatic death sentence. He was going beyond freedom of expression and just criticizing the Monarchy. Making actual plans for abolishing the Monarchy… that was crossing the line, no doubt of it.

 

“Ah, I see. Back to the Head Butler - it’s Feltsman isn’t it - what has he been up to?”

 

“Yes, Yakov Feltsman. I have met him quite a few times over the years, actually. And as to what he is up to, it seems that it’s him, not just the King that has been meeting with Yuuri and Phichit. As you know, the King’s household makes certain expenses public, and Yakov’s phone bill suddenly jumped in December. I don’t think that we have seen the end of their meddling. I am not sure what they are planning, but I suggest we both keep tabs on the government staff to make sure that they aren’t being co-opted for their own purposes. If it were just the King, I wouldn’t be that concerned. But Yakov has been trained well, and we can’t underestimate him. In any event, we need to keep our eyes open. It seems that they haven’t given up hope yet, despite their impossible situation.”

 

“Good to know… I can’t imagine what they could come up with, but Phichit has proved himself to be quite the strategist, so you’re right, we should not underestimate them.I know that you have the loyalty of most of the people in Public Affairs and will have them keeping an eye out, but is there someone specifically that we should give direction to?”

 

“Oh yes, there’s someone in security that we can trust. She’s a Director - Samantha Rowe.”

 

“Oh, of course! Why didn’t I think of Samantha? She’s related to you, isn’t she?”

 

“Yes, distantly -she’s a cousin of sorts.”

 

JJ shook his head in amazement. Through the years it seemed that Nikolai had managed to place his own people in every single department of the government. And if it wasn’t a family member (of which he had few), he made sure that there was someone in place who owed him a big favour. Nikolai had been an MP for so long, he had the entire system working in his favour. It was no wonder he always knew what was going on.

 

“I think that’s all we have on that topic,” Nikolai said dismissively. “Next on our agenda for tonight is the meeting with Fleodal’s Minister of Trade,” Nikolai said, changing the topic deftly, and removing a different file folder from his briefcase. “And this particular meeting is really important. We need to make sure we provoke Fleodal just enough that we elicit the response we want without them declaring war. Yet.”

 

“Yes, they will have to be the ones to declare war,” JJ agreed, continuing Nikolai’s thought, “but not until we’re perfectly positioned.”

 

The military was one area that they couldn’t break through entirely to extend their influence. They had a few sources, but none high enough to make any sort of difference. To compensate for it, they employed a military strategist themselves, independent of any arm of government or the Monarchy. He was an academic, but was happy enough to advise them so long as they kept up his grant money. An easy trade, and quite frankly, quite the bargain. The man had the added bonus that his plans hard to predict by anyone trying to figure out their strategy; after all, he wasn’t trained by the government or the military, so his suggestions sometimes seemed to come out of nowhere. It was a major advantage when you didn’t want anyone guessing your next move; however, it came with risks, since his methods were unproven in the real world.

 

“So what’s the plan?” JJ asked, knowing that Nikolai had been in contact with their strategist.

 

Nikolai peered at the documents before him, quickly scanning the contents. “Hmph. Well, the recommendation is to agree to increase the supply of opryx by 5% and tell them we will consider lowering the tariffs if they can provide a similar deduction in their import duties. He says not to specify a product, but let them stew on it a bit. Also, apparently our immigration policies are really starting to cause some anger. Aside from the racial profiling we are being accused of, it’s the short term visas that are causing other governments the most consternation. First off, they’re getting pressure from their own people about how we are excluding others, even from visiting. But perhaps more importantly the policy is angering businesses. They can no longer get short term visas to send their people here for training or for extended business meetings. As you know, we’ve limited the casual stay to 5 days, and that’s effectively preventing any knowledge transfer, which is exactly what we intended. And they are starting to realize that not only are we hoarding opryx, but we’ve begun hoarding the knowledge of how to use it, and the newest technology that can incorporate it.”

 

“That’s just as we intended. Good. It’s fine that they’re angry. It shows that the policies must be working. After all, to become the powerhouse we want Ruzka to be, we need to be the masters of opryx, not just the owners.That is what will bring the world to its knees and allow Ruzka to reclaim it rightful world power.”

 

Nikolai nodded at him, and although he’d heard the same speech, or versions of it, copious times, he never failed to listen with the same enthusiasm as the first time he and JJ had spoken.They shared the same passion, the same drive, and more importantly, the same vision. Nikolai had never run for Prime Minister himself, preferring the certainty that his supporting role brought him - which was borne out by the number of times he’d been re-elected. But JJ couldn’t help but feel that the two were destined somehow to work together. JJ would be the one that would finally be able to bring Nikolai’s dreams to fruition.

 

“Ok,” Nikolai summarized, “it’s simple. We offer them more supply, suggest we will consider reductions in tariffs if they do the same and remain firm on the immigration policies. That’s enough that their Minister will be forced to go back and consult his government, but enough of a signal that we refuse to back down that will anger them. Especially the immigration policies. That really seems to be a hot button issue.”

 

“It sounds like a solid plan. I won’t have any issues carrying that out. But it begs the question, what is the time estimate before they answer? What’s the projection for Fleodal’s next move?”

 

Nikolai smirked in response. “That’s the beauty of it. Although our meeting is scheduled for the end of this week, There’s an important festival that takes place in Fleodal in early February. There’s no way that they want to disturb the people’s enjoyment of that festival, so we have at least until the middle of February until they respond. Perhaps the very soonest would be the second week, say the week of the 13th, if their response is going to be on the weaker side. But if they’re going to prepare a military response, the estimate is the early to mid March. After all, they have their own internal politics. We are on the verge of a world war, so I imagine they have their own internal political tap dancing they need to do.” Nikolai leaned back in his chair, pushing the documents aside for the moment. “You know, it’s rather ironic in this day and age that we’re using only paper,” he mused. “It used to be so risky to commit anything to paper, but these days the real risk is having anything be digital. Can you imagine the antics you engaged in as a teenager being made available instantly to anyone at the press of a button?” Nikolai sighed deeply, and continued, “But perhaps that is really to our advantage. By not having our lives narrated by social media we know how to be truly circumspect… unlike the King,” he laughed, a touch of irony colouring his otherwise buoyant chuckle. “Well, at any rate, we have a plan. And I think it’s a good one. Our strategist knows our end goal and seems to be coming up with solid plans to get there. I think we’re on the right path, JJ, I really do.”

 

JJ returned his smile, feeling equally confident after having heard the contents of the recent reports. “I agree, Nikolai… I feel like our goals are just within our grasp… we just have to make sure the plans are carried out effectively.”

 

Feeling satisfied, both men indulged in a snifter of cognac that had been left for each of them. Yes, JJ reflected, life was very, very good.

 


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri has an *experience* and Christophe enters the fray.

_January 15, 2017_

 

Yuuri barely glanced up from his phone as he made his way to his car, the path deeply ingrained in his muscle memory from so many years treading the same path. With everything going on these days, it seemed like he could never put his damned phone down - between normal government business, low key preparations for war and his staff reporting about more clandestine matters… well, the incoming emails were constant. He looked up briefly, having reached entrance to the parking garage, to press the button for his floor before staring back at his phone, this time blankly. He was on his way to meet Yakov, having received as much information as he could from his staff using legal and authorized access. And to say it was concerning… was an understatement. The last month he sometimes found himself wondering if he had been pulled into some weird fever dream. The life of a bureaucrat was supposed to be dull, methodical, with nothing but confusing direction from government and mountains of paperwork to complain about; never did he imagine that her career choice would lead to secret meetings with the King’s butler and the King himself. And now secret investigations into a past assassination. Assassinations. He couldn’t forget or diminish the Queen, especially after what she had been through. He shook her head in amazement. The Nikiforovs, born or married into the family, were certainly stronger people than mere mortals. He couldn’t imagine the strength it took for the Queen to get through the incident where she had been stabbed. From how she had acted during her public appearances at the time, one would never guess the true seriousness of the situation that had lead to King Victor’s premature birth.

 

The elevator pinged as he reached his floor and he shook his head to clear it, striding out the door with his usual confident step. He would be glad to share the information his staff had collected, and to bear the burden of it with others. It was too much for one person to handle on their own, that was for certain.

 

Having reached his car, and with his headspace focused and where he needed it to be, he left the parking garage, headed to the Palace.

 

Immediately after pulling into traffic he noticed he was being followed. It was hard to miss, the fleet of five black cars hardly being subtle as they pulled out from various directions when he left the parking garage.

 

The traffic was fairly light since it was mid-day, and the cars were easily able to catch up to him. They surrounded him on each side, even in front of him, confident they knew where he was headed. One car, looking more ominous than the rest with its beefier appearance, followed behind the others at a fairly close distance. Yuuri tried not to panic. There was really nothing he could do but keep on his path, and wait and see if there would be a chance to pull away.

 

There wasn’t, of course. The Palace was too close to allow for any opportunities, and the lead car lead him straight there. As they rounded the corner to approach the Palace gates, the car on his right slowed down suddenly, taking a position next to the car following him. The other two cars kept up with him on his left and in front as he approached, as if to be sure that he got to his destination.

 

However, just before they were in sight of the Palace security cameras, Yuuri was startled by a sharp crack and exploding glass. Panicked, he screamed and slammed on the brakes. The cars following him abruptly peeled away, though he didn’t see it, having curled sideways on the centre console to avoid being in the view of the windows, foot still firmly on the brake.

 

Heart beating wildly, he listened as the sounds of the cars gradually faded until there was relative silence. He’d been breathing deeply, thanking every deity imaginable that he practiced yoga regularly and could control his breathing even in this situation. Finally, after a minute of silence, he ventured to sit up cautiously, looking around frantically to see if there was anyone still around. He was greeted with nothing but an idyllic winter scene, no one in sight, just the snow covered Palace walls, artistically holding the snow as they had no doubt been designed to do centuries ago.

 

Trying to control his shaking, he took his foot off the brake and continued to the gates, announcing himself to security and gaining entrance. As he parked in his usual spot - after all, he was a person of habit - he forced himself to return to the task at hand, realizing that the threat that had just been made was meant to scare him from continuing.

 

And no one, NO ONE, would ever scare Yuuri Katsuki away from what was doing what was right, and what was necessary.

 

He looked around, surveying the damage and noted that the bullet had hit the left back window and passed out the right back window. He nodded to himself. As he thought, they hadn’t been aiming at him. They had fired in such a way that it would have been extremely hard to hit him, but was guaranteed to scare him. This was meant to be a threat, a warning to back off.

 

Yuuri squared his shoulders as well as he could and got out of her car. Challenge accepted, he thought. Yes, he was shaken, but he’d be damned if he’d let this stop him. His duty to Ruzka overrode everything else.

 

~~~~~~

 

Yakov was hurrying down the hall to meet Yuuri at the front door, practically running in his haste. He had called a short while ago and requested that Yakov meet with him immediately in a secure location. The palace, of course, had a number of such places, both rooms that insured privacy and rooms that protected against attack. Yakov couldn’t imagine the issue was the latter, so he had decided to show him to one of the conference rooms with the staff area occupied by the King’s personal security.

 

He was already waiting at the door that separated the household of the Palace from the working area, staff having been instructed to allow him access but to ask him to wait for Yakov personally. As he got closer he noticed that he looked much, much different than his usual self. Yuuri was a person that was hard to ruffle; he had an air of unshakable confidence that always surrounded him. That calm, sure confidence , whether feigned or real. was one of the reasons that he had risen so high so quickly within the government administration, Yakov knew. Beyond his unquestioned competence, he inspired people to trust his judgement.

 

But that aspect of his personality was nowhere to be seen at the moment. He was standing, pale and shaking, by the door, looking both lost and uncertain. His eyes were darting around as if he was expecting a surprise attack, and his hands were clasped in fists by his sides. “Yuuri,” he called, wanting to give him some reassurance, “follow me, we can talk when we’re settled.”

 

Yuuri looked over at him, looking mildly relieved and nodding. Yakov led the way quickly, though not so quickly as to engender stares from any staff they might encounter. Neither spoke on their way, Yuuri lost in his thoughts and Yakov trying not to let his imagination take over speculating what had reduced Yuuri to this state.

 

But really, it wasn’t difficult to ascertain - the only explanation was that they had found evidence.

 

So… it must mean it was murder.

 

Yakov refused to let himself react to the realization. He was determined to think of this as an abstract fact situation, rather than something that was so very personal to him. He had to make sure that he could think clearly… for Victor. He would need to be at his wits’ best in order to make the right decisions, the right recommendations.

 

Yuuri didn’t even raise an eyebrow as they passed into an area of the Palace that no one outside the King’s personal circle was allowed to pass. Yakov nodded to the man sitting behind the security desk as they entered the secured area. Being so close to security staff, Yakov allowed himself to relax minutely. If there was one thing they could be sure of, it was that not a soul in this area of the Palace was a leak risk.

 

Yakov lead Yuuri the rest of the way to the room he had picked, closing the door behind him, and sliding the indicator to “occupied”, which automatically locked the door. The room was simple, utilitarian really, though the chairs were comfortable. It was one of the rooms meant for planning and secure discussion, not interviewing or interrogation, so there were no recording devices and no windows or other ways to see into the room. The room’s plain walls did not betray the latest in soundproofing and signal jamming technology that lay behind them. There were no electronic signals getting in or out of the room; both phone and internet ran from secured dedicated land lines.There was a multimedia set up if they needed it, and the computer that ran it was programmed to automatically delete all history the moment the indicator on the door was slid back to “unoccupied”.

 

Yuuri practically collapsed in the chair furthest from the door, and despite his earlier urgency, seemed reluctant to speak. Yakov broke the silence first. “Yuuri, what has happened? You seem to be extremely distressed.”

 

Yuuri looked up at him, his eyes a convoluted blend of scared, angry and determined. “They followed me, Yakov. They surrounded me after I left the parking garage and led me here. They absolutely knew where I was headed despite it being marked as a dentist appointment in my calendar. And then…” Yuuri paused, visibly pulling himself together, “they shot at me Yakov. It was just a warning shot, I’m sure, but it went through the back windows on both sides.”

 

Yakov gasped, almost choking on his breath. He never intended that revealing his secret would lead to threats being made against anyone. He had not intended to put anyone in danger.

 

But Yuuri seemed to divine his thoughts and spoke up. “No Yakov, don’t blame yourself, and do not regret showing us that tape. It was necessary, and it is necessary. Ruzka’s problems are bigger than you or me. They are problems that can only be solved by King Victor.”

 

Yakov was silent for a few moments, absorbing everything Yuuri had said. And yet, he realized, he had requested a meeting before he had been threatened, which as he first thought, could only mean he had found something. He decided there was no point in beating around the bush, and spoke up, “Asking for a secure meeting can only mean one thing - you found evidence of what we were afraid of, didn’t you?”

 

Yuuri sighed deeply, “Yes, I think so, though at this point it’s nothing firm. Honestly, I was really hoping I was just being paranoid, but after today’sincident… I don’t think I was being paranoid enough. Before today, I don’t think I really thought that I would find anything, but now everything’s changed.”

 

“Yes... I understand completely. After what happened to you today, I feel exactly the same way... So? What did they find?”

 

Yuuri cleared his throat, straightening a little and becoming more business-like. “The main evidence right now is what we could glean from government computer system. It’s still mostly circumstantial, so nothing that would stand up in Court, but it’s enough that anyone who isn’t a complete fool would see the truth.”

 

Yuuri took out a sheaf of documents from the large messenger bag he’d been carrying, and scanned them. “I’ll just explain in the order it was summarized, since that seems the easiest.” He looked to Yakov for his ok, and he nodded back at him.

 

“Yes, go ahead, that makes the most sense.”

 

“Ok, so,” Yuuri paused for a brief instant, scanning the report. “Looking at the email and calendar system, they found that between 2002 and 2003 there were quite a number of meetings booked in Nikolai’s calendar with no attendees listed. During the same time period, he had an unusually high cell phone bill - many of those calls were from Fleodal actually, but even with those that were domestic, there were a lot that were long distance. And here’s where the pattern starts to emerge. He also had unusually high expenses during the same time period, and the expense reports show that he was traveling to border cities. And there is no official reason that he should have been traveling to those cities. They are not in his riding, and there was nothing going on in Parliament at the time that would have justified so many trips and such expense.”

 

He looked up at Yakov, making sure that he understood, “I can tell you unequivocally that there was no sanctioned government reason that he was traveling there. And then it starts to really take a twist… the Prime Minister also started to visit these cities at the same time - though there is nothing in any briefing notes, no bills under consideration… not even any security measures being considered.”

 

“You don’t mean Prime Minister Macleary, do you? Are you telling me both he AND Prime Minister Gill collaborated with Nikolai??!!?” Yakov was shocked to the core. Nikolai was one thing, and PM Gill had always been sketchy, but to know yet another Prime Minister had been involved… to say it was shocking was an understatement.

 

Yuuri gave him a tight smile. “I think you’re beginning to understand exactly why I am so concerned. This plan of Nikolai’s isn’t a fleeting one; it seems to be something that he’s been working on for a long, long time… and he has the supporters in place to make sure it happens. We are not safe, Yakov, and we’ve been in danger since the moment we encouraged the King to challenge the government. The depth of the corruption is quite frankly unfathomable… the entire government of Ruzka is rotten to the core, and the worst part is I’m certain that the administration is complicit. There’s no way that this could have gone so far if there weren’t people embedded in every aspect of the administration to make things happen, and happen under the radar. And the fact that I haven’t been aware of it until now, tells me that it is so deeply entrenched that it has become ‘business as usual’.”

 

“But we can discuss that in a second, I just want to finish the last of this report, because the details are rather damning. As I was saying, both the PM and Nikolai had high cell phone charges during the same period. … it’s easier to justify for the PM, but, it turns out that the same foreign number had called them both, and numerous times, and often when they were in those border cities. Staff did attempt to trace the number, but it was a dead end. Which means that it was likely a burner phone.”

 

“And, this last bit is what told me that we needed to talk before we proceed any further,” Yuuri paused briefly, taking a few deep, calming breaths before continuing, “They also looked into our procurement system. You may not know, but we have a contract management system. Since we are subject to so many trade agreements, our contracting is governed extremely strictly, and it’s supposed to be completely transparent. What they found was a small discrepancy in Nikolai’s ministerial budget. When they looked into it further they found that there was an amount paid to two contractors that triggered red flags.”

 

Yakov raised his eyebrows, thoroughly transfixed by the story Yuuri was weaving, “Red flags?” he asked.

 

“The amounts were exactly $1000 under the amount that would trigger a more rigorous review. And neither of the contractors went through the RFP process.”

 

“RFP?”

 

“Request for proposals. Sorry, it’s a procurement law thing, it’s a rather specialized area. Anyway, each of the contracts were for $99,000 for a six month term, which is not just under the trade agreement level to require certain procedures, but at the time, was just under what would require sign off by upper management in Finance - well, so long as a senior manager in the ministry it was for signed off. At the time contracts 100,000 and above required the approval of the ministry of Finance and the responsible ministry. So by the amount, we can tell that these checks and balances were purposely avoided. And added to that, there were four additional payments made, each for a “renewal’ of the initial contract, each for $99,000, so $495,000 for each contract, totalling $990,000 in two and a half years.”

 

“WHAT!!!! How on earth did that slip under the radar?” Yakov was aghast. How on earth did the government just ‘miss’ a million dollars? Surely the public records should have shown something.”

 

Yuuri laughed at his question, dry and ironic. “You’ll love this… if you remember at the time there was a huge push internationally for better environmental protection, and for countries to reduce their contribution to climate change… so of course the statement of work attached to the contracts cites ‘environmental research and climate change’. No one would question that, especially since at the time it was such a political topic, yet no one really understood what it meant. Not only that, but there doesn’t seem to be any sort of record of any deliverables received.”

 

Yakov understood exactly what Yuuri was saying. The environment and climate change was such a hot button political topic of the time. Since then more research had been done, and the major industrial countries had committed to reducing their environmental impact… but yes, at the time in question, this was so up in the air, and such a paralyzing thought for the masses… they wouldn’t even blink at an entry like that in Ruzka’s finances.

 

He pondered this as Yuuri continued, “And the best part is that the contracts are entirely identical except the name of the contractor, and neither has the sign-off from Law… instead they seem to have been signed off by the Deputy Minister of Finance - but she was actually on maternity leave at the time. So, you see Yakov, they were definitely doing something underhanded, something that they didn’t want anyone to know about. And after being followed and shot at… I have no doubt that we have disturbed the hornet’s nest, Yakov. And I don’t know what to do.”

 

Yakov was silent as he digested what Yuuri had told him. He weighed the facts, and pondered the details, sorting through his own memories to link the events Yuuri revealed with those that he remembered himself. In the end, he was unsure, he didn’t see the connection, though the threat to Yuuri was certainly damning. “Alright, I’m with you that something was definitely amiss; they were engaging in something that they wished to keep secret, but nothing you’ve told me thus far has told me that there is a direct link to the King.”

 

“I know, Yakov, and that’s why I called you so urgently. To get that information we’d need information from outside of government systems. I can’t authorize that, as I am only in charge of government administration. Also, I am not comfortable making the decision on my own as to whether the information we have so far justifies reaching further… the military intelligence can do it, but as you know, that’s considered an extreme use of power that should be avoided. We’re at a decision point. I think the evidence is enough that any reasonable person would connect the two events, and certainly the fact that I have been physically threatened points to the fact that we are on the right track; however, Yakov, it’s in your authority to order a further investigation, not mine. ...so tell me what you think.”

 

Yakov looked down at his hands, which he had clasped together and set on the table so he wouldn’t fidget. He understood why Yuuri was here; obviously Yuuri was one of the very few that knew he could command the King’s personal staff… and that with just a word, he could also engage the Ruzka Intelligence Corps, no questions asked. The question was, did the information they have so far justify his use of that authority? It was a very serious thing to be investigating, and if they were wrong there could potentially be a backlash if the RIC decided that he had abused his authority.But… on the other hand, there was definitely evidence of some sort of fraud with government money...not to mention the threat directed at Yuuri. So perhaps if he instructed Christophe, the Commander of the GIC, to frame the investigation in terms of fraud…. he’d have to tell the Mr. Giacometti the truth of course, but then at least the investigators looking into it wouldn’t think it was the current King on a witch hunt. Then again, he would also approach Mr. Giacometti much like Yuuri had approached him, and let him come to his own decision that it warranted further investigation. Yes, he thought, that’s what he would do.

 

Finished making his decision, he looked back up at Yuuri. “The best course of action is to tell Mr. Giacometti, the head of the RIC, everything and let him take it from there. I have no doubt that he’s going to come to the same conclusions that we have; however, at this point, I think we could use an objective opinion. We’re playing with fire here, and obviously putting ourselves in danger. I want an honest assessment from someone I trust, and that the King also trusts. Christophe is really the closest thing he has to a friend, aside from you and Phichit.”

 

By the time he finished speaking Yuuri looked like the weight of the world had been (at least partially) lifted off his shoulders. He looked more himself, his eyes having more of the spark they usually carried, his shoulders straighter than they had been since he’d arrived. “Yes, I think maybe that would be the best. At this point I know I will be starting at every shadow I see, and I have no idea if I’m going to face even more threats. We’ve been so focussed on the scandal and with all the pressure the current political situation has created with the threat of war, it’s time to focus on our personal safety as well.”

 

Yakov nodded, agreeing with him wholeheartedly. The last month and a half had been like some crazed roller coaster ride, and half the time he hadn’t been sure which direction was up. He supposed he had gotten used to life with King Victor, and in general the life of a King that didn’t have true government work. In other words, he’d become complacent. Now, however, he couldn’t afford to lower his guard. “It’s decided then. I’ll talk to Mr. Giacometti this afternoon, and let you know what he has to say. Or did you want to be there as well?”

 

“No, but thank you for asking, Yakov,” he replied, his manner finally back to being closer to his typical self. “I think that right now the less time I’m away from my normal duties the better. You have all the necessary details, and I’ll leave the report with you. You may want to make copies of it though, as I have no electronic version of it. None of this has been saved on the government’s servers, just to be on the safe side. Oh - and one other thing. I haven’t told Phichit yet. Knowing your resources, I came straight here.”

 

“Let’s wait to tell him,” Yakov interjected. “Let’s wait and see what Mr. Giacometti has to say, because I also want to ask him for specific security recommendations for the both of you. I can speak to Mr. Giacometti this afternoon, so it’s not going to be delaying the conversation by much.”

 

Yuuri gave a sigh of relief, “Good idea, Yakov. It would make me feel a lot better hearing what Mr. Giacometti has to say about any extra security precautions, so thank you for inquiring on our behalf. Alright, I had better take my leave now. I assume you have to escort me out of this area since its secured…”

 

Yakov let a soft chortle escape, “Nothing escapes you, does it, Yuuri? Even when you are preoccupied you always catch the details. It’s no wonder that you are where you are in Ruzka’s administration.”Yuuri didn’t respond, but his eyes crinkled slightly at the corners at the praise. No, Yuuri was definitely not a compliant people-pleaser type, but that didn’t mean that he didn’t appreciate when his accomplishments were recognized. After all, he worked unbelievably hard for those accomplishments.

 

“Shall we go, then?” Yuuri asked as he stood up, ready to leave. He had left the report on the table, which Yakov deftly scooped up as he rose. He moved to the door, sliding the indicator to “unoccupied” before opening it for Yuuri.

 

They both walked in a contemplative silence as Yakov escorted him out of the Palace, though Yakov was pleased to note that Yuuri looked much calmer than he had when he arrived. Once they reached the front door, Yuuri simply stated, “I’ll talk to you later,” before exiting quickly and disappearing to the visitors’ parking.

 

Yakov closed the door after him, with some trepidation. He had sent him off, not knowing if he would be followed again or what could happen to him. The ball was in his court now, so to speak, and he had to decide how to approach his meeting with Christophe.

 

He didn’t know the man too well, unlike the King who worked closely with him, and certainly not well enough to be on first name basis, despite the special place he held in King Victor’s household, so how would he manage to convince the man to take him seriously and not as some doddering old servant? He, like Yuuri, now believed that King Maxim’s death was no accident. It was too coincidental to dismiss, and worst of all, it fit a pattern, a pattern of behaviour by Nikolai. It was so, so clear that the man’s ultimate aim was to get rid of the Monarchy altogether, and that he didn’t care about the means he used to reach that goal.

 

This was, perhaps, more apparent to Yakov than it was to Yuuri; after all, it was he who had been hiding behind a curtain, personally witnessing Nikolai use a knife on the Queen, all the while with a sick gleam in his eye. He’d known then that there was something very wrong with the man, though years of perceived inactivity had made him forget what once he knew so decidedly. But the look on his face, the pleasure, the thrill and gratification that was embodied in his smile… it was evident that Nikolai thrived on violence and pain.

 

And that was the key, he thought. He needed to show Christophe the video - Nikolai’s expression spoke more eloquently than any words Yakov could come up with to describe how utterly wrong and _sick_ Nikolai’s actions were. After seeing his face, and the pleasure he derived from delivering pain, it wasn’t hard to imagine that Nikolai wouldn’t hesitate where violence was involved.

 

He headed back to his office, determined to speak to Christophe immediately. It was a Sunday, but he knew he’d be able to reach him. After all, the time had come to use _the_ phone.

 

~~~~~

 

Two hours later Yakov found himself in the same room he had met Yuuri in, this time with his old Sony camcorder in hand. He’d already set up the screen and camera, and had been pacing rather nervously while he waited for Christophe to join him. Although lunch had passed, he hadn’t been able to face food, and he was regretting it slightly now, his empty stomach bitter with acid and making his nerves worse.

 

Just then Christophe entered the room, closing the door behind him and marking it ‘occupied’. “Yakov,” he said in a curt greeting, “I can’t say I was particularly surprised to hear from you, given everything that’s been going on with King Victor. I don’t know that you’ve ever booked a meeting with us in my time as head of the RIC, so I know something must be serious. So… what has driven the Head Butler to use his privilege to call in the RIC? I know that’s not something that you would do lightly.”

 

“Ah, yes, Christophe… we may or may not have a little situation here that involves the King. You of course are familiar with the scandal that they King has been dealing with the last while?”

 

“Of course, Yakov, it’s been impossible to miss. And of course in addition to the King’s Security we monitor for any potential threats to the King as well, so we’re well aware of it. I hadn’t heard of any serious death threats or anything like that though.”

 

“No, that’s not quite the issue. ...it’s a bit of a long story, so let me start from the beginning. First of all, we have some evidence that the King was purposely set up… by Nikolai Plisetsky if you can imagine.”

 

“The MP????? Why on earth would he be interested in creating a scandal for the King?” Christophe demanded, expression a mask of shock and incredulity.

 

Yakov sighed, collecting his thoughts so he could give a complete and coherent account of the everything that had occurred. He spent the next few minutes explaining to Christophe how Phichit had approached the King, and how the King had decided that Phichit’s proposal was a good one. He continued on about Yuuri’s involvement and the evidence of the King’s success. At that Christophe nodded, clearly being familiar with the #Victory4thePeople tag that had been made popular.

 

“Ah, I was wondering what was going on. It wasn’t King Victor’s usual behaviour to advertise his visits to his charities so often. Mind you, everyone here was glad of it; the common people have no idea how much time the King spends on his philanthropic pursuits. Well, I can’t say I’m the least disappointed in the King’s intentions - it’s obvious to everyone that the current government is going to be the ruin of Ruzka.”

 

“Yes, that’s exactly what spurred His Royal Majesty to act. He couldn’t sit by and just watch his people be driven into a needless war. But be that as it may, it seems Nikolai and the current PM have been desperate to stop the King.” Yakov outlined the evidence they had found that Nikolai had been involved in the scandal. When he was finished, Christophe looked distinctly displeased.

 

“I see… though I think if you’re here now rather than when you found out, I assume that there’s something else going on?” Yakov was impressed, though he supposed he shouldn’t be surprised - after all, the man was head of intelligence for a reason, so of course he’d be able to deduce things so rapidly.

 

“Yes, there is. A lot more actually. But first, I need you to see something. This will probably come as quite the surprise... King Maxim swore everyone to secrecy. I don’t think anyone in the military ever found out the truth. This,” Yakov stated rather dramatically holding up the ancient videotape, “is the only evidence remaining of the event.”

 

Christophe raised an eyebrow at Yakov’s dramatics, rather amused. “Well, don’t keep me in suspense then, Yakov, play the tape.” Without any more delay, Yakov did as requested, not watching it this time, but instead watching Christophe carefully. The man didn’t give much away - he had a reputation for being rather stoic in stressful situations - but the hardening of his jaw at the Queen’s screams was unmistakable. After the tape finished, Yakov shut everything off and began disassembling the cables while Christophe sat, silent and contemplative.

 

Finally he spoke. “I don’t want to beat around the bush - what you’ve just shown me is extremely disturbing - but, it’s history, and I’m not sure what the connection is to current events. I can’t help but think there’s even more to your story Yakov, so tell me everything so I can get the full picture before I draw any premature conclusions.”

 

Yakov looked up at him while he finished wrapping the last cable. “There is. Or, rather, there might be. First off, I should make clear that the purpose of bringing this video to light now is because my thought was to use it to force Nikolai to fix the current situation with the King. Not blackmail per se, but… leverage.” He paused, Christophe looking at him disbelievingly. “Ok, fine... blackmail. Anyway, I of course shared this with Yuuri and Phichit, and they insisted that King Victor had to be shown.” Christophe winced at that. “He’s dealt with it surprisingly well. He made the decision not release it publicly, but to use it to convince Nikolai to make things right. In the meantime, Yuuri and Phichit were to consider what we should do next, and present a plan to the King; however, I guess they both became more suspicious of Nikolai and his motivations behind all this and made some further investigation by collecting information from the government’s records.”

 

Christophe sat up, at full attention, taking in Yakov’s every word to commit to memory. “Yuuri instructed his staff to report on the actions of Prime Minister Macleary and Nikolai during the 2002 and 2003, obviously prior to King Maxim’s death.”

 

Christophe hissed, “Prime Minister Macleary? What did they find?”

 

“Nothing conclusive,” Yakov responded apologetically, “Enough that any reasonable person can see that there is something illicit going on, but not enough to draw any evidence directly to King Maxim. But there was an incident that tells us that Nikolai is aware of this investigation and doesn’t want the information to come to light. Yuuri was followed by a contingent of five cars, from the Parliament parking garage to just outside the Palace gates, where they shot at him.”

 

“What?!” Christophe raised his voice, incredulous.

 

“He’s convinced that it was just a warning shot, and not intended to hurt him… but…” Yakov trailed off uncertainly, waiting for Christophe’s response.

 

“And that’s where I come in, I take it.”

 

“Yes, Sir, that’s where you come in. The investigation was limited to government systems; the access to which is perfectly legal by both Yuuri’s staff and the King’s staff. However, any further information would need to be pulled from civil sources, and we don’t have the authority for that.”

 

“But I do.”

 

“Yes,” Yakov acknowledged. “I understand that this is an extraordinary ask -”

 

“You are right, it’s extremely extraordinary,” Christophe interjected. “So beyond the threats to Yuuri, let’s hear why you think your ‘ask’ is justified.”

 

Yakov had expected this, and he was rather glad that Christophe was placing all the cards on the table. “Yes, my intention is to have you hear everything and leave the decision in your hands as to whether you feel an investigation is justified. I will not use my privilege to order it, but rather defer to your opinion.” Christophe looked at him curiously, which he answered with a self deprecating smile. “I don’t have enough experience with these things to know whether this is justified. My purpose today was not to make a request, but to consult and figure out the best course of action. Both with whether to move forward with an investigation, and as to whether Yuuri and Phichit should take extra security measures.”

 

Christophe relaxed slightly at those words. He, of course, realized how sensitive an investigation of government officials would be, and most especially of Nikolai and any connections to current or former PMs. “Ok, Yakov, I understand and appreciate that. But what is the evidence that has you in such a state as to question your own judgement?”

 

Yakov didn’t respond, instead sliding the report he had obtained from Yuuri across the table. Christophe took it without responding and began to read rapidly. When he was done he put it back down on the table with deliberate care and remained silent for another moment.

 

Finally, he spoke up, “Combined with the video evidence this is extremely… problematic. There is no doubt that Nikolai has committed fraud and treason. His actions towards the late Queen warrant a death sentence, though I understand King Victor’s wishes in that regard…” he hesitated, “but this… this, shows a pattern of behaviour; an agenda that he has been following for decades. I think, Yakov, whether or not your suspicions are correct, it is imperative that we look into Nikolai further. Whether or not he was involved in King Maxim’s death, and whether or not we find any additional actions towards King Victor, it is evident that he is a threat to Ruzka. An internal threat, but a threat nonetheless. And investigating threats to Ruzka is one of the RIC’s most important mandates. So yes, we will investigate further. I will classify the investigation as secret; only those with the highest security clearance will have knowledge of the true purpose of the investigation. At the same time, we’ll do a threat assessment for Phichit and Yuuri and determine whether extra security measures are necessary.”

 

Yakov was relieved. He had been so worried that it was going to look like the King was just trying to find someone to blame for the scandal. But then, his vision had been so narrow the past while that he hadn’t considered that the RIC might be interested even if the findings didn’t involve the Monarchy. But, of course they were.

 

“And one other thing, Yakov - can I take that tape? I know we need to preserve the original as carefully as possible, but I think it would be prudent to make some digital copies as well. Just in case.”

 

Yakov felt his shoulders fall against his will in reaction to Christophe’s request - and they fell in relief. He was no audio visual expert, and the burden of trying to keep the tape and the camera preserved and figure out how to hook them up as technology changed was actually quite the stressor, and it was quite frankly a responsibility he didn’t want. He had no doubt that the RIC would keep it safe and know what to do, and he was happy to hand it over. “Of course, Christophe, I would be more than happy to hand over the tape and camera. I have no doubt that you’ll be able to preserve it better than I ever could. I’ve already failed at researching how to make it digital.”

 

Christophe gave him a small, tight smile in response and a nod of thanks, before unexpectedly turning the conversation to lighter topics. “So, Yakov, you invite me over to the Palace on a Sunday afternoon, but yet I fail to see any evidence of the Sunday tea that Medkovo Palace chefs are renowned for… what kind of hospitality is that?”

 

Christophe was clearly teasing, but Yakov felt the weight of years of training as a butler kick in. “Of course, Sir, I’m sorry Sir, I can have something sent up immediately.”

 

The other man laughed jovially at his response. “Yakov, I was kidding! But in all seriousness, I need to get to work on this immediately, so I’d better be going.”

 

They left the room, Yakov making sure that it was marked unoccupied, and Christophe carrying the camera and videotape. Once they were out, Yakov quickly sent a message to the kitchen, instructing that an afternoon tea be packaged up and left by the front door. He smirked, unseen by Christophe, knowing that it wasn’t really a challenge, but one that he would win anyway.

 

Sure enough, as they arrived at the front doors, they were greeted by one of the junior kitchen staff, bags in hand. Christophe looked over at Yakov, incredulous. “...But how???!!!?”

 

Yakov just gave a small smile, keeping his face as neutral as he could. “You, Sir, have absolute command over your domain, as I have over mine. I think it’s safe to say we each can make the impossible happen within our respective domains.”

 

Christophe let out a loud guffaw, the sound ringing throughout the entry hall. “I like you Yakov… thank you for the food.” And with that, Christophe left, smile and secrets intact, and afternoon tea in tow.

 

Yakov closed the door behind him and immediately unlocked his phone. He needed to let Yuuri know, then they would have to bring Phichit into the loop.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poor Victor. But facing what we think is at the limit of what we can endure can be an opportunity to become stronger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW for panic attack

_January 18, 2017_

 

It had been three days since Yuuri’s visit, and Yakov hadn’t spoken to Phichit or Yuuri since he’d let Yuuri know that Christophe was going to continue the investigation. Yuuri had explained everything to Phichit in the interim, and Phichit was being extra careful as well in regard to his personal safety. Sunday had been an especially difficult day, trying to absorb the information that King Maxim’s death may not have been an accident, while appearing to act normally before King Victor. Victor was doing well, though he was still dealing with fallout from the video, never mind the scandal. In order to buy more time, Yakov had told him that some more research needed to be done before they came up with a plan to clear his name, but not to worry, he was sure they would hear more shortly.

 

Yakov was staring down at his phone, his text messages revealing a request from Christophe to meet at noon, in the same place, and to bring Yuuri and Phichit. No other details were given, though that was hardly a surprise. That gave him roughly ninety minutes to get a hold of the others and to mentally prepare himself. He would have to rely on Yuuri to make sure Phichit got the message, he reflected, as Parliament was in session and they would not be breaking until just before noon. At least it was the usual routine to schedule two hour lunches, as it was practical, allowing the politicians to have working lunches and to strategize for the afternoon session. That would give them enough time for the meeting. Yakov stopped by the kitchen to give instructions for a meal for four to be delivered to the security desk outside the security unit’s offices. He then went to find King Victor.

 

As expected, he was in the library, sitting in his favourite chair with a book in his lap. He was staring out the window as opposed to reading, looking thoughtful.

 

“Ah, Yakov, good to see you. Is there any news?”

 

“Not yet, King Victor, but I am expecting to speak to Phichit and Yuuri shortly about next steps.”

 

Victor nodded in response. “Well, as you know I have that luncheon with the PTSD Association of Ruzka shortly. And a visit to Top Dogs tomorrow to see the expansion of the training facility. Should I go ahead and keep posting on social media?”

 

“I don’t see why not. Didn’t Phichit just say business as usual until we can figure out how to address things? I can speak with him about it if you wish.”

 

“That would be appreciated, Yakov. Well, maybe in the meantime I’ll take some good photos and wait to see if there are any candids posted before posting my own. That will give me some indication of how they might be received. And maybe tonight I will try to get a hold of Phichit.” Victor took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “Despite everything, Yakov, I’m deeply grateful that Phichit came to me. That he and Yuuri believe in me. Duty is so ingrained in my blood, and it felt so good - no it feels so good - to act on it. And they’ve been so helpful throughout this. I don’t know what I would have done without them.” He paused a moment, smiling, “And that goes for you as well, Yakov. Thank you.”

 

Yakov tired to smile back at him, though he was sure it was more in the nature of a grimace since internally he was straining to keep his expression normal. Depending on the outcome of his noon meeting, Victor may begin cursing him, rather than thanking him. “It’s our pleasure to be of service, King Victor. Now, did you need any help with your wardrobe or anything else? I believe all the details for your outing have been taken care of.”

 

“No, thanks Yakov, I’m just relaxing before it’s time to go. Everything is in order, as always.”

 

“Alright, I will take my leave, then. I will let you know if I have any news from Yuuri or Phichit.” Yakov bowed deeply and left the King pondering the snow covered view out the window. Yakov hoped the serene scene was helping the King find some peace in his heart.

 

After leaving the King, Yakov had gone back to his office, to look after a few household details and pace without anyone seeing him and wondering what was wrong. He had asked Yuuri to make sure that they got there a few minutes after Christophe arrived in order to ensure that he could meet them at the door personally - though by now he was sure that some of the other household staff had noticed the frequency of their visits. However, he was hoping this time that no one would connect them with the visit with Christophe. After all - it wouldn’t have been too odd to have the head of the RIC at the Palace, since he did work with the King, so he hoped it would be assumed that Christophe’s business was something official.

 

At the appointed time, Yakov met Christophe and escorted him through the Palace. He had already collected the lunch that the kitchen had prepared from the security office and brought it to the conference room. He left the man there to help himself to the food, and went to wait for Yuuri and Phichit.

 

When they arrived, Yakov noted that while both looked tense, and Phichit especially looked distraught. Apparently Yuuri had also noticed, as while they were walking to the conference room, he asked Phichit, “Tough day in session?”

 

“Mmmmm,” Phichit responded, “Things are not looking good right now. There was an interim report from the Trade Committee. Apparently there was a meeting with Fleodal last Friday where we ‘generously’ offered to increase the supply. It was of course, a ruse; I’m pretty sure that the Monarchists are just prodding them into declaring war.”

 

Yakov felt his throat tighten. Things were moving too fast in the political sphere, and they really needed to make their move soon to stop this war from happening. He hoped that Christophe had something they could use to make that happen.

 

Oh, Yakov realized suddenly, Christophe would not be telling them if he found something that was unrelated to the King’s death. If it was something else that he had found, he would have gone through the appropriate official channels. Yakov felt himself break out in a cold sweat. The chances were nil of Christophe wanting to meet in person just to tell them his people had found nothing, especially since Parliament was in session and given the current political situation. That only left one possibility - he found evidence that Nikolai was involved in King Maxim’s death.

 

He led Phichit and Yuuri the rest of the way in a fog, everything feeling surreal and jarring to his senses; the colours overly bright, the background noises too loud - even the breathing of his companions sounded harsh to his ears. He wondered how he was going to make it through the meeting.

 

Finally they arrived and passed through security, making their way to the boardroom and closing the door firmly behind them. Christophe was sitting at the table, calmly finishing a sandwich and greeted them with a wave. He finished chewing, then spoke up, “I suggest that you eat lunch first. I find a full stomach is usually better for discussions such as we need to have today.”

 

Lunch was a silent and tense affair, since everyone had guessed the results of the RIC’s investigation. Even Yuuri, who could normally be counted on to break the silence with his business-like manner, was contemplating his food with much more intensity than necessary.

 

Finally, when the plates had been set to the side, Christophe broke the strained silence. “I know you’ve probably guessed why I’ve called this meeting, so I’ll get immediately to the point. Yes, we have solid evidence that King Maxim and Queen Elizaveta were assassinated, and that Nikolai and former PM Macleary were directly involved.” Christophe paused then, letting his audience take a moment to absorb the news so that they would not be distracted from the rest of his report.

 

Once he was satisfied he once again had their attention, he continued, “We started with looking at security footage from the times and locations that you had identified that MP Plisetsky had been traveling, with special attention paid to those where PM Macleary was also present. From this footage we were able to discover that the two were engaged in meetings with a certain man. This man was present at every single meeting that they had, be it Nikolai, Macleary, or both together. They met with him alone, with the exception of the last meeting, where an additional man joined the meeting with Nikolai and Macleary. Using facial recognition technology, we have been able to identify both men. The first rented the truck involved in the accident. The second was the driver.”

 

At that Phichit took in a sharp breath that sounded almost like a stifled shriek. Christophe glanced at him before observing the others. Yuuri looked shocked, but not overcome, as if he had expected the news. Yakov was deeply shaken, pale and trembling, with his hand covering his mouth tightly as if he was was scared to let a sound escape. And no wonder, Christophe thought, seeing as how long he had been with the family. Yuuri’s reaction also wasn’t a surprise, as he had already experienced some of Nikolai’s intimidation tactics. And Yuuri, out of all of them, had the experience and common sense to understand the reality of the danger they were in.

 

“As you know,” Christophe rattled on, “the driver of the truck died of a heart attack. It was widely believed at the time that this medical emergency combined with the truck’s brake failure is what resulted in the accident. As per normal procedure, an autopsy was performed and toxicology tests were undertaken; however, it seems the reports have gone missing. This of course leads to the implication that the driver’s death was most likely induced, and we could, if necessary, exhume the body and attempt to undertake further testing. This conclusion is bolstered by the fact that the first man they met with, the one that rented the truck, also died of a heart attack. His death occurred the day after the accident, but of course since it appeared perfectly natural, and he was not directly involved in the accident so no autopsy was performed.”

 

“Having this much evidence, which is more than circumstantial, but perhaps not enough to prosecute, we looked further, and some very pertinent facts came to light. First, both of them received payments from the government matching the exact payment schedule and amounts of the contracts that Yuuri provided. The cheque numbers line up completely with the cheques issues to the contractors in question. Secondly, neither of the two men had anything to do with climate change -- neither man was a scientist nor advocate, and neither had ever been involved in any environmental issues.”

 

Now, Christophe paused for a bit of drama. He couldn’t help himself, since this really was the final piece of puzzle. His audience was already enraptured, all leaning forward slightly in anticipation, needing to know the entire story, which was really the starting point of the events they had just lived through.

 

Christophe finally continued, his voice rising slightly to emphasize the importance of his words, “The last, and perhaps most telling bit is that we were able to trace both men to certain criminal groups within Fleodal.”

 

The silence after he finished was loud with the warring emotions of astonishment and hatred. The thought that Nikolai and the Monarchists had been dealing in secret with Fleodal’s underworld was a shock; one that hit home in the worst way and tore apart the sense of security that they had mistakenly lived with their entire lives.

 

“So then,” Yuuri spoke, his voice thunderous and echoing despite the soundproofing of the room, “we’ve all been duped, been used… for years. This, THIS, is his end goal. To destroy Ruzka by letting Fleodal in and creating some sort of world empire based on opryx. The immigration policies - those are a ruse! They’re trapping our engineers and scientists here so Fleodal has no choice but to use Ruzka for their aims. He’s insane. It’s so clear, yet so twisted, so wrong, and just about impossible. What Nikolai wants to see is world domination. IDIOT. IDIOT!!!! Does he not see that’s the only path to destruction???? The world thrives on diversity. No one country should rule - that’s why the Nikiforovs let all the colonies go! They knew that, they understood that!!!” Yuuri had stood during his passionate speech, his chair toppling in the process. With his pause, Phichit picked it up and put a gentle hand on his arm, urging him to sit.

 

“Yuuri, you hit it on the nail. I think you said what we’re all thinking, though probably more eloquently. I have to confess I am completely lacking in words for a proper reaction. Shocked… doesn’t begin to cover it.” Phichit collapsed in his chair next to Yuuri, having exhausted his ability to speak.

 

“I know I had told both of you that we would provide a security detail on a temporary basis pending the outcome of our investigation, and I want to reassure you that we will be continuing your security detail. They will be subtle enough that they won’t be noticed, although that does mean there will be less coverage when you are in Parliament Row. We have made some arrangements with government security, however, to have a few extra of our staff around. They are under the impression that it’s extra security because of the threat of war and fear of terrorist action, but in reality it’s both to protect you and to keep an eye of Nikolai and the PM.”

 

Christophe turned to Yakov with some concern, “Yakov, you have been quiet, but I would like to know how --or if -- we should approach the King with this.” He knew that despite Yakov’s training this was a lot to deal with, especially since he had been close friends with King Maxim. The level of betrayal and treason was staggering. This was not something that anyone could deal with in stride.

 

Yakov gazed back at him with slightly glazed eyes, looking for all the world like his world had just been ripped apart, and he was struggling to find solid ground again. “Oh yes,… um, well…” Yakov paused briefly, his mind focused inward as he considered the situation, and his training leading to a quick conclusion, “of course we need to inform the King, and the sooner the better.” Yakov, now decided, was intent in both body language and speech. “King Victor needs this information in order to decide how to move forward. It would be wrong of us to keep it from him.”

 

No one looked particularly happy with his announcement, but they nodded vaguely at him, acknowledging that he knew the King best. “I will request King Victor join us now; his luncheon should have ended, and he should be home within the hour. I’m sorry to ask, but could you all please stay until then so we can deliver this news to him as a group. He will need the support of each of us in order to make it through.” Having received three silent nods, Yakov proceeded to text Victor, the text perhaps unintentionally being the most alarming Victor had ever received.

 

They waited for him to arrive in silence, each involved with their work via phone and trying to ignore they were about to completely destroy the King’s world.

 

Again.

 

~~~~~~

 

This time when Victor received the summons from Yakov for a meeting, he didn’t delude himself - whatever it was, it was going to be be bad. Especially since Yakov had texted him - and during one of his charitable events. First off, Yakov never texted that Victor was aware of (though maybe that was Phichit’s influence), and secondly, Yakov would never interrupt him during one of his commitments unless it was absolutely necessary. Knowing it must be urgent, Victor wrapped up things up as quickly as he could without being rude and returned to the Palace poste haste.

 

When he arrived Yakov was waiting for him, and guided him straight to the conference room within Victor’s security offices. Victor braced himself, determined not to be caught by surprise this time. After all… to have a meeting here, there must be something even more serious going on than what they’d uncovered. The treason of Nikolai was a lifetime ago, so there had to be another, current threat at play for it to make the chosen meeting place necessary.

 

Three worried sets of eyes met him when he entered the conference room. Behind him, Yakov slid the indicator to “occupied” with an ominous click. Noting that Christophe was present, he knew the matter was likely even worse than he had imagined. Victor drew a steadying breath before taking a seat and asking Christophe expectantly, “What now? Your presence, Chris, means this has escalated into some sort of threat to Ruzka.”

 

Chris cleared his throat before answering, “Yes, King Victor. I was presented with some information obtained from Yuuri, and I decided that there was a reasonable basis to proceed with an investigation. We have now concluded the first stage, and a decision needs to be made whether to proceed further.”

 

Victor gave Yuuri a half hearted glare for keeping him in the dark. “I see. I will need a detailed report, then. Please start from the beginning, Chris.”

 

“Yes, Sir!” Chris replied. Having worked with King Victor long enough, he knew what was expected with him and began a detailed yet succinct report of what had been suspected and discovered, as well as his initial findings and conclusions regarding potential prosecution.

 

Victor listened intently to Christophe, finding that the familiar cadence and structure of a military report allowed him to concentrate on the facts alone, as if he was listening to a report on events that affected a total stranger rather than himself. At least, that’s how it was in the beginning. By the end of Christophe’s report, Victor was bubbling over with emotion, keep himself in check only through sheer willpower.

 

When Chris finished, complete with a salute, all Victor responded with was a soft, “I see.”

 

Victor’s first reaction was rage; a rage that was white, blinding, burning… a rage that wanted to consume everything in its path without plan or purpose. He closed his eyes and let it consume him for a moment, relishing the burning feeling he felt through his body, through his soul, finding it somehow cleansing. He felt his blood rise to the surface, colouring his cheeks and making his body warm and tingle, almost like he had miniature firecrackers going off under the surface of his skin. As the sensation rose to a peak, he forced the rage to subside, and rode the wave of it until the ocean of emotion that had engulfed him was somewhat more calm.

 

When he felt in control of himself once again, he opened his eyes, knowing his companions were sitting by him, waiting patiently but concerned. This was not the time to be self indulgent, not the time to give into emotion. That could come later, once he’d dealt with the immediate needs of the situation and once he was alone.

 

With his grief. And anger.

 

But at the same time, he knew he needed some time to absorb things, to make sure that he was making decisions based on the facts, not his emotions.

 

He forced himself to breathe deeply and evenly, meeting the eyes of each person in the room as he did so. Chris, whose steady demeanour was not yet wavering, but who was regarding him with assessing eyes, gauging how he would react, and already anticipating how to respond. Yuuri, who looked back at him with concern but confidence, as if he knew that he would be able to get past this and give them the direction they sorely needed. Next, Phichit, gazing at him with an echo of shock behind his eyes, and mixed in with it, guilt, turning the warm brown of his usually shining eyes dark and dull. Finally he looked into Yakov’s eyes, Yakov who had been a fixture in the Palace since before he was born, whose loyalty and honour was unquestionable, and whose service was absolute. Yakov’s eyes reflected a deep sorrow, but strangely that sorrow was mingled with hope and encouragement.

 

It was said that in hard times, the people you know show their true colours.

 

It was certainly true now, he thought. He never would have thought even two months ago that he would have people around him that cared so deeply for him, that knew him and believed in him. It was one of the worst days of his life, perhaps even worse than the day his parents died, yet underneath it all, he realized how lucky he was, how much his life had changed for the positive in such a short space of time. All because of Yuuri, Phichit and the ever-faithful Yakov.

 

Gripping the armrests of the chair tightly, he spoke at last. “Thank you for having the confidence in me to share this information, and for trusting that I am not going to go off the rails and make our precarious political situation even worse. Obviously, something has to be done. Nikolai’s actions cannot be allowed to stand, and the Monarchists can no longer be allowed to control Ruzka’s future.”

 

He paused, taking another deep breath in an attempt to keep his voice even. “I will need some time to think about how best to handle this. Even though we don’t have a lot of time, I think all of us could use a night to sleep and come back to the problem with fresh minds.” He turned to Chris, “I know that in the normal course of events, this would be pursued as treason, the investigation and subsequent actions subject to those particular protocols. However, using the scant authority left to me in my role as head of the military, I formally order you not to proceed until I give further orders. Preserve the evidence and data as you must, and take any other precautionary measures, but unless I say otherwise, do not go any further down the road of laying charges.”

 

“You need only have asked, Your Majesty, you don’t need to resort to an order,” Chris replied, rather affronted.

 

“I know Chris, but we don’t know what is going to happen from here on out, and having a formal order from me protects you and shields you from any questions regarding your actions. It’s probably unnecessary, but if what you have revealed today tells us anything, it’s that we must act with all possible caution.”

 

Chris nodded, acknowledging Victor’s words, “Thank you, Sir, I appreciate the concern.”

 

“Now, I don’t want to be rude, but I would like to call it a day ...I think you can all understand that I would like some time to myself… and perhaps if all of you could give some further thought to how different scenarios could play out, it would be of great assistance in our discussion tomorrow.”

 

All three began to collect their things in silence, not wanting to disturb Victor further. “Let’s reconvene tomorrow for lunch,” Victor added. “Phichit - if I recall it’s just committee meetings the rest of the week, correct?”

 

“Yes, that’s right, King Victor. I have committee meetings in the morning both tomorrow and Friday, but otherwise, I am at your service.”

 

Victor felt his mouth quirk in response to Phichit’s sudden formality. ‘At your service’, indeed. He was just as invested as Victor.

 

“Alright.” Victor stood, quickly but gracefully. “I will take my leave of you now. Yakov can lead you out.” He turned to Yakov as he left, “I will contact you later regarding specifics for tomorrow’s meeting.” He really didn’t feel like talking to anyone, but he knew Yakov would be concerned about him, especially after how he had reacted to the last revelation.

 

He left the room and returned to his own suite of rooms as quickly as he could while keeping his dignity intact. He felt like he was moments away from losing it entirely, and he wanted to make sure he was completely alone when that happened.

 

When he arrived he closed the door, turning around and feeling the outline of the paneling as his back slammed against it. He let himself slowly sink to the floor, and allowed himself to feel at last. He felt his body trembling with sobs he hadn’t realized he let out, and he absorbed his grief, taking it into himself and embracing it.

 

His world had been taken away from him. Forcibly, purposely, and for nothing more than a man’s greed.

 

With his grief came pain. His chest seared with it, his muscles taut and shaking. His throat felt swollen shut, he couldn’t swallow properly past the lump, each breath agony on his lungs which were stuttering though each sob.

 

He had no idea how long he sat like that, lost to his own pain and misery before he felt like he could move again, the only thing motivating him being the desperate need to soothe his burning throat with some water. He moved slowly and painfully to the kitchenette in his sitting room, collecting a glass and filling it with water. His vision was blurry from the tears and the inability to focus on the real world. He felt marginally better after a few sips, putting his glass down as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He rubbed his eyes, willing them to focus for even a moment, and stared blankly at the marble of the counter. After a few moments he registered that he had been staring blankly at a small bottle - the one that his physician had left for him after his panic attack. Well… he thought… here we go again… if ever there was a time when he could use it, this was it. With that thought in mind, he opened the bottle and took a pill as he’d been instructed, swallowing it down with the last of his water. With that task completely successfully, he moved to his bedroom, thinking vaguely of pyjamas and his bed. As he walked, it was as if his muscles had atrophied; every movement was slow, difficult and painful. His vision still wasn’t completely clear, though by now his eyes were so irritated from crying it wasn’t a surprise.

 

He paused at the door to his room, holding the door frame for support. It felt like the breath had been torn out of him and he vaguely recognized that he was beginning to have another panic attack. Through sheer determination he made it to his bed, stripping off his pants, but unable to make his fingers work the buttons on his shirt, they were shaking so much. He gave up after a brief attempt, and climbed into bed, sitting against the headboard with his knees pulled to his chest and pulling the covers around him.

 

He sat there for some time, hugging his shins and with his head touching the tops of his knees. Again and again he felt the same waves of extreme emotion wash over him, each wave leaving him breathless in its wake, weaker and weaker as time went on. He had stopped trying to identify the emotions that ran through him, just trying to get through the physical reaction until the medicine kicked in - thank goodness he’d had the foresight to take some before his attack taken hold.

 

Finally, around 20 minutes later, some of the fog started to lift. He looked up, slowly forcing his eyes to focus on the opposite wall as he breathed in and out. ...in and out… Who would have thought just breathing would be so difficult when he wasn’t even injured? … not physically anyway. But yet somehow it was such a struggle. But each breath seemed to bring more clarity to the world, which Victor was grateful for. After a few more minutes of breathing and struggling through the pain caused by his too-tense muscles, Victor’s thoughts started becoming clearer as well. And finally he was able to sit up properly and stretch out his legs.

 

Feeling his muscles cramp, he stretched, slowly and carefully, keeping his mind grounded by focusing on the feel of the sheets as they moved past his skin, the tightness of his shirt across his chest as he leaned forward, stretching his arms behind his back, and the comforting smell of the small arrangement of jasmine that had been placed by his bedside.

 

Having loosened his muscles, he was finally able to deal with his buttons. He took off his shirt and got up, collecting his pants and emptying the pockets before depositing everything in the laundry hamper. Moving to his dresser, he selected the softest, loosest pyjamas he had and dressed quickly before the slight chill in the room made him start shaking again. He’d definitely had enough of shaking for the evening.

 

He went back to his bed, phone in hand and curled up properly this time. He inhaled the scent of jasmine deeply, reflecting for a moment on how thankful he was that the Palace had an established atrium. It was such a luxury to have fresh flowers all year round, but when you grew them yourself, it was more of an accomplishment than a luxury. He let the memories of working in the atrium fill his mind as he breathed in, trying to ignore the fact that the scent of jasmine always reminded him of his mother.

 

He sighed. He needed to think this through. To deal with how he felt, then decide how to proceed. Ruzka’s future was at such a tipping point, whatever move he made could destroy his country entirely or save it. It was not a position that Victor had ever imagine he’d be faced with.

 

Embracing his chemically induced calm, he began to sort through what he had learned.

 

One. His parents had been murdered.

 

Two. The murder had been planned by Nikolai and at the very least endorsed by PM Macleary.

 

Three. There was hard evidence of this plot, though at this point perhaps not enough to successfully prosecute on the charge of regicide.

 

Four. It was likely that a trial for treason would be successful, for at least the coercion of his father and assault on his mother.

 

Five. Nikolai had demonstrated a pattern of behaviour that was both violent and demonstrated that his ultimate goal was to get rid of the Monarchy, although Victor wasn’t sure exactly what Nikolai thought would be gained by that.

 

Ok… deep breaths, he thought, desperately trying to force his thoughts to stay ordered. So, how did he feel about this? Obviously angry, shocked, sad, devastated… revengeful… but what else? There was an emotion lurking deep within he couldn’t quite identify, but it seemed to be fuelled by all the others. Well, maybe if he worked through the others, he would figure it out.

 

He let his memories wander back to his parents, back to when he was 14. He was a typical teenager, slightly rebellious and questioning everything his parents did. As he well remembered, he was in a particularly bad stage of questioning his parents, demanding to know repeatedly why his father had made the changes to the Constitution and ridiculing his responses. He realized that he had been acting as any other teenager would, but now knowing the truth, he didn’t think he would ever completely get over the guilt of how he’d treated his father. To have his last memories filled with anger and hurt… he’d never get over the shame of it. He knew objectively that his father probably understood it was standard teenage anger, but even that understanding would not have prevented his words from hurting.

 

These were old thoughts, thoughts that had haunted him for 14 years, that he’d never entirely been able to move on from. He pushed them to the side again, knowing this was not the time to dwell on old wounds.

 

It was evident that Nikolai and the former PM were complicit in his parents’ deaths. There was no doubt that the man they met with was the driver of the truck. He wondered whether it was a suicide mission or whether the man had been killed for his silence. The inquest after their deaths had determined that the truck had total brake failure caused by a loss of pressure to the line, but the lights in the dashboard that would light the brake warning light were burnt out. The driver, of course had died in the accident, as had been reported, but the autopsy had shown that he had died of a heart attack.

 

But looking at it in hindsight, did the driver take something purposely or had he been given something to induce a heart attack? They would never know for sure, though knowing what he knew now, the missing toxicological report suggested that the heart attack was in no way natural, especially since the other man involved had also died of a heart attack. That made him more angry, that Nikolai thought so little of human life that he didn’t just target his parents, but didn’t care if others died, so long as his plan was successful.

 

Nikolai. Everything centred on him, there was no doubt. His agenda, obviously, was to put an end to the Monarchy - but why? To gain power for himself? It was strange though, he seemed to crave power, but yet he had never run for leader of the Monarchists, instead choosing to support whoever was selected. Which gave him some power… but didn’t seem like enough for a man who didn’t hesitate to injure and threaten the Queen, or commit murder. And also, he thought darkly, who showed no remorse for those actions.

 

So either it was about money or it was personal. Or perhaps it was a combination of the three: a personal vendetta, power and money.

 

Victor had no doubt that Nikolai and the current PM were lining their pockets with money from the increased trade tariffs. Yuuri had, of course, mentioned the discrepancies in Ruzka’s financials. But to only be benefiting from the increased tariffs now seemed too long term for such an uncertain payout, and at such risk - that is, if this was the end goal that Nikolai had in mind 28 years ago. Added to that, Nikolai was lucky he hadn’t been charged with treason and put to death after he threatened the Queen. It just didn’t make sense. There must be more behind it - and why did his father keep it hidden all those years?

 

He wished he could make sense of Nikolai’s motivation - it would help him decide what needed to be done in the here and now, and Victor was determined that he could not let Nikolai win at the expense of Ruzka’s people.

 

Determination.

 

Yes…that was it, that was the emotion that was fuelling him, keeping him from breaking down entirely.

 

Yes, he was angry, yes he was devastated, and he was certainly shocked to the core. And yes, the ugly part of him desperately wanted revenge, to hurt Nikolai as much as he’d hurt Victor’s family. But more than all that, more than anything, he could not let Nikolai hurt Ruzka any more than he already had. He could not let him succeed in starting this war. It would destroy his precious Kingdom, his people.

 

Victor didn’t know if Nikolai was deluded or not, but Victor was the one ultimately in charge of the military, and he knew very well what would happen if war was fought on their soil - they would not win, or if they managed it, it would be at great cost in lives. Their military technology was designed for fighting at a distance, and while they did have soldiers and equipment for fighting on home turf, at this point they didn’t have enough. Ruzka had historically relied on its allies, and the fact that any potential invading country would not want to ruin the infrastructure for mining opryx. But now… now they didn’t have the allies they historically had. Now they had isolated themselves through their immigration policies and high tariffs. Sure, there were a few of their former colonies they could likely count on, but only because they were more scared of what would happen if Fleodal had a monopoly over opryx. With their crazed president, it could be even worse than was was currently happening in Ruzka.

 

While his emotions were still a maelstrom, the realization of his end goal helped immensely. He needed time and therapy to work through his feelings, but that would have to wait until after all this was dealt with. Right now he needed to deal with Nikolai, to ensure he was stopped. And not just stopped, but snared in a figurative - or possibly literal - prison that he could never break out of.

 

Feeling more in control of himself, Victor called for dinner to be served in the library. He texted Yakov, letting him know he was fine, that he had taken something to calm him down, and that he would contact him later if he needed anything.

 

That accomplished, he had a shower, deciding to freshen up before dinner in an attempt to bring some normalcy back to his day. When he finished, he climbed back into his comfiest clothes and padded his way down to the library in his slippers. He had a lot of thinking to do, and a very important decision to make.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> His decision made, Victor shares his plan with his team.

_January 19, 2017_

 

The next morning Victor felt a strange sense of peace wash over him. Had he come to terms with everything? No, not really. If he was honest with himself, not at all. However, at the moment he could and would deal with the facts of the matter and focus on what needed to be done. He could make this impersonal, think about it academically instead of what it meant for his own life, his own story. After all, monarchies all through world history were rife with stories of murder and betrayal, of jealousy and revenge. His situation was hardly a new one, just rare in this day and age given the lack of modern monarchies. If his predecessors could deal with it, he could too - he had been raised to understand that his personal feelings would always be put second to his duty to Ruzka. His entire life had been dedicated to the service to his people, and that was not going to change now, whatever was thrown at him.

 

The Monarchy was more than just a family; it was more than each person born to into it. It was an institution. An institution that always stood by its people no matter how derisive the politics were. And an institution that protected Ruzka as a parent would zealously protect its children. While Parliament allowed Ruzka to grow and change, the Monarchy was the safety net and the guiding voice. The resulting governing structure was like a young adult leaving home - independent but with the steadfastness of experienced parents to help out if they should flounder.

 

And floundering, Ruzka was. An understatement, really, as Ruzka was on a course that would inevitably end in destruction.

 

But Victor thought he knew how he could change the course of his beloved country. There was some risk, of course, as it may not work, but he thought he had a path forward. After everything that had happened since Phichit had first approached him on that fateful December day, Victor couldn’t help but be proud of himself. He had faced adversity for the first time, had faced hard facts and reality that would cause most people to completely give up; however, he had refused to turn away. He met the challenge head on, and it was time to show Ruzka his mettle. The Nikiforovs were not weak, nor would they be intimidated or easily manipulated. There was a reason that they were the longest ruling monarchy, and Victor was going to show the world exactly why that was.

 

He dressed carefully, mindful of every detail. In part it was because today would be a momentous day for him personally, and he wanted to look every part of the King… but really, it was because this was something he had control over, and he very badly needed that control though he couldn’t express that to others. He brushed his hair until the silver fell in a soft curtain around his shoulders. He did a quick side braid to keep his bangs out of the way, fastening it just above the ear with a jewelled clip. His three piece suit, a light grey, was impeccably tailored and pressed, and the contrasting plum shirt was paired with a rich black brocade tie. Finished, he looked at himself critically in the mirror, and, determining that he was satisfied, made his way out of his suite.

 

After he had breakfasted, he found himself again in the library. He had gravitated to this room throughout this whole ordeal, as it was one of the few places that gave him a sense of peace.

 

He spent the rest of the morning preparing himself for his lunch meeting, planning what he would say and the questions he needed to ask. He also thought through how he wanted to present himself; for, although the others knew him by this point, his demeanour would set the tone going forward, and either inspire faith and dedication or fear and doubt.

 

After a while he found himself staring out the window, taking solace in the scene outside. Although it was a winter day, the sun was out, casting its warmth on the frozen scene, and causing the ice crystals clinging to the trees to reflect a brilliant, almost blinding light. Chickadees once again flitted about, looking for berries that had fallen. They sounded so very cheerful despite the cold of the day, and he supposed the sun, defying the season by shining brilliantly against a background of azure blue, must inspire a good mood even on the coldest of days.

 

Finally startled out of his reverie by the alarm on his phone, he noted the time and realized the others had likely arrived. He sent a message to Yakov, asking him to meet him in the library before Victor made his way to the conference room. He laughed to himself internally as Yakov joined him in what must have been a record amount of time. He hadn’t spoken in person to Yakov since the day before, so he suspected the man must be lingering close by with the hope Victor would summon him.

 

“Yakov, come in,” Victor said invitingly as Yakov complied, closing the door behind him.

 

“King Victor,” he greeted, with a rather formal tone to his voice. Victor smiled at him, understanding that Yakov didn’t know whether or not he was ok, or just how to handle him at that moment.

 

“Relax, Yakov, I am ready for today’s meeting. Yes I’m upset, and yes, I need to find a way to grieve the ‘what-if’s’ properly, but right now I’m fine, and I am completely focused on what we need to do. You and I can remember King Maxim and Queen Elizaveta later, when we have the luxury of time.” Victor paused, letting Yakov absorb what he had said, and waiting a response.

 

Yakov appeared to ponder Victor’s words for a few moments, weighing them in his mind against his own concerns and pain. Finally he spoke, “You are truly a Nikiforov, King Victor, and it is a real honour to serve the Crown. …Please, tell me what is on your mind so I can aide you in whatever course of action you have decided on.” Yakov punctuated his speech with a deep bow, obviously deeply affected by Victor’s words.

 

Victor smiled fondly at Yakov, silently appreciating how much Yakov had given to his family over the years. “The answer is easy, Yakov. We can’t let Nikolai succeed… which means we avoid war at all costs and work to reverse all of the trade and immigration policies this government has come up with.”

 

Yakov nodded his approval, allowing himself to smile slightly at his King’s sureness. “And how do you think we should go about that, King Victor?”

 

Victor sat up straighter, knowing that by speaking aloud he was about to commit himself to the course of action he had decided upon the night before. “We don’t pursue charges, Yakov. We instruct Christophe to complete the investigation, to go as far as he can so that the evidence is solid and irrefutable. But, just like the last time I had to make a decision like this, I don’t believe Ruzka’s people could handle the scandal. We don’t need to add to the fear, confusion and mistrust that is already out there.” Victor paused, looking down, then added with a touch of sorrow to his voice, “They don’t trust me right now, Yakov. I haven’t done anything to earn their trust, and I don’t want it to appear that I am doing this for power. Just like the original plan, I want the people to come to me. I will be their pillar, I will be their voice, but they need to believe in me, to trust me. If we exposed Nikolai, that would not happen. The people would be left with no one.”

 

Victor looked into Yakov’s eyes then, gaze steady and sure, “What we need to do Yakov, is to first deal with the problem of the scandal - Mila, the girl I met with, needs to admit the truth, and Nikolai needs to back her up on it. I need a firm statement from him that he’s sure nothing untoward happened. I know that before I can really do anything, I need to gain the trust of the people back. And then, we need to make sure that Nikolai and any of his accomplices are unable to make a single move. _Ever_. I want that part locked down tight, Yakov. I trust that Christophe will be able to assist us with that, though we may need Yuuri as well. There will be absolutely nothing that Nikolai does that is unknown to us… not for the rest of his life.”

 

Yakov was regarding him with something akin to shock, though Victor was uncertain at first whether that was a good thing or a bad thing. Finally, he spoke, “Your Majesty… I am beyond honoured to serve you. Not many would be able to put their personal feelings aside and make decisions that are solely in the interest of Ruzka. You… you have my utmost respect, Sir.” Yakov bowed again, more deeply than he had before, and Victor regarded him, sharply but not unkindly. He knew if this sort of surprise is what he faced from the one who knew him the best, the rest of the world was going to be an uphill battle… to put it mildly.

 

“Yakov, that is not necessary. I’m no different than the Victor you’ve known for the last 28 years. The only difference is that now I have the opportunity to make a difference, and to seize the responsibility that I was born with - that runs in my blood. I refuse to run away from that responsibility. Now let’s go, it’s just about time to meet the others. I’ll need all of their help if I’m to pull this off.” He paused, letting his voice become a bit softer, “We’ll make quite the team, won’t we, Yakov?” And with that said, Victor rose with a tight smile and exited the library, leaving Yakov sputtering somewhat in his wake, wondering how it was possible that the idiot boy of two months ago was the same man now charging off to face an unknown future, possibly sacrificing himself in the process. Because they both knew what Nikolai was capable of, and everyone in their group was in danger.

 

They made their way to the conference room together, Yakov not sure if he should lead the King or let the King lead him, resulting in him walking awkwardly beside him. Victor didn’t notice Yakov’s discomfiture, completely wrapped up in his own thoughts and what he planned to say once he joined the others. Yakov’s perception of the King had been completely turned on its head, leaving him a bit muddled, and now watching the King stride down the hall with such authority, his mind immediately conjured an image of knights of old, his purposely weighted steps and strong stance leaving the image of a man wearing battle armour with a cape sweeping behind him. Yakov shook himself out of his stupor and focused on the path ahead. He really was becoming an old man, flights of fancy and all.

 

Finally they arrived, having passed through security and entered the now all-too-familiar conference room. The others were there, and though lunch had been served, none had made a move to fill their plates, all expressing their apprehension in their own ways, be it fidgeting, staring stoically at nothing or staring obsessively at a phone.

 

Victor decided to break the ice, knowing that everyone was waiting to see how he was, to see what orders he would give, and most importantly, to see if he’d gone mad with the revelations of the day before. He plastered a small smile on his face, one that was just large enough to be friendly and genuine, but small enough not to appear fake. He looked each one in the eye as he greeted them, taking care to keep his voice warm and steady.

 

“I know you are anxious,” he said, speaking directly to the elephant in the room, “but please be assured, I have not gone crazy, either with grief or rage. I do believe we have a path forward, a path for Ruzka, and I believe that all of you in this room can assist me with that. So! Please, let’s eat. I would especially like to hear any updates on the foreign political situation before we begin our discussion.”

 

With some reluctance, and much unease, they followed his suggestion, filling their plates then settling again for conversation. Yuuri ended up leading most of the conversation, providing his own knowledge of the situation and directing questions towards Phichit and Christophe to fill in the gaps. Victor remained quiet, though his expression was intent, and eyes bright as he listened attentively to the most recent news.

 

When his guests had exhausted their knowledge of the situation, Victor remained quiet for a moment, finishing the last of his lunch and sipping his coffee thoughtfully. He was glad that he had asked for an update; it helped solidify his decision in his own mind. Now, faced with the precipice he was about to step - no leap - off of, he was absolutely certain it was the right thing to do. He could not play it safe - not for Ruzka, and not for his people. Looking up, he saw that everyone had finished their meals, and were watching him expectantly.

 

“I appreciate you sharing the latest on the Fleodal situation. Ruzka’s precarious position internationally has reinforced the decision that I have made in regards to Nikolai and his various accomplices.” He paused, taking a sip of his coffee, idly wondering when he’d developed a flair for the dramatic, for his pause certainly had captured the attention of his audience.

 

“We are not going public with this information, nor are we going to charge Nikolai or Macleary.”There was a collective gasp of surprise, and it was evident that no one knew quite how to react. But before anyone could interject, Victor continued, ”I do want Macleary watched, to make certain that he is not currently involved in any of the current political machinations of the Monarchists, but I understand Macleary is just about on his deathbed. So long as he is not involved in current matters, I see no reason to act beyond keeping tabs on him. Now, obviously Nikolai is a different matter entirely; however… things are not so simple. Ruzka is in the same position, if not worse, as when I made the decision not to act publicly on the evidence Yakov presented regarding Nikolai’s… treason. And personal feelings aside, those reasons stand.”

 

“Ruzka is in crisis. We face a world war, invasion, probable if not certain destruction, and a corrupt government. My people are terrified. They fear for their very lives, and they could care less right now about the finer points of economic or foreign policy. There is growing unrest towards the current government policies, and the Monarchists are steadily losing the people’s trust. If we make this public, our people will be left with no one. I am not so arrogant to believe that I can just step into the hole that would be left in Ruzka’s leadership if that happened. The people do not know me, they do not trust me. A few photos on Instagram are certainly not going to change that to the degree necessary, and their trust is fragile, as we have seen. And obviously with the scandal still in the forefront of people’s minds, there is no chance to gain their trust as things stand.”

 

“However… your hard work has provided us with definitive evidence, evidence that Nikolai cannot get around no matter how hard he tries. And as cocky and self assured as he is, even he will realize that the evidence we have means an instant death sentence. It’s rather ironic that a law that both my father and now myself see as being archaic and inhumane and would have gladly rescinded will actually serve us well now.”

 

“So what we will do is present both Nikolai and JJ with this evidence. Start with the coercion of my father, and if that doesn’t work, escalate it to the accident. The goal will be twofold: first, to clear my name of the scandal. To do this, we need both the girl, Mila, and her chaperone, Yurio, to publicly denounce the rumours. And as Nikolai knows Yurio, he will also come forward as as the girls’ sponsor and denounce the rumours. Phichit, I will leave it to you to decide just what the narrative should be, but the Monarchists should publicly denounce the rumours as a party. Second, we need the Monarchists to rescind the constitutional changes made 28 years ago. They will not just suggest rescission, but they will endorse me as King, and they will take the position that restoration of my constitutional authority is what will help Ruzka avoid crisis, alluding of course to the emergency powers the Monarchy has always been granted. From there, I will use those powers to override current government policy and the responsibility of Ruzka’s survival will rest on my shoulders. Phichit, again, I will need you to develop the appropriate narrative and social media coverage. Chris, I’m going to need the military’s help as well. The investigation should continue - I want definitive, irrefutable evidence. Obviously the matter must continue to receive the highest security classification, as I don’t want any of this made public.”

 

”And Yuuri…” he looked over with a soft smile. He was becoming more than a little smitten with the man, he admitted to himself. “Yuuri, I’ll be counting on you most of all to help me navigate my way through government and the bureaucracy. Everything from protocol during Parliamentary debates, to handling requests through administration. And it goes without saying, you’ll be my wingman, letting me know what people are saying behind the scenes of the actions we take.”

 

Victor let his speech sink in, knowing that everyone would have questions, but letting them wrap their heads around his decision. It had not been one that he had made so easily as his speech suggested, being very aware that supplanting the current government’s rule of Ruzka carried a whole host of risks, especially given his inexperience. But regardless, the one thing he had learned in the last couple months is that he had people that he could rely on, people that were experts in their fields that could give him solid advice. So long as he invited their advice, openly and honestly, and gave it the weight it deserved, he knew that he could do this. He could be the leader - the King - that Ruzka needed. It would be a team effort in reality, but he would be the head of that team, directing and leading them.

 

As he watched, a multitude of emotions flickered through the faces of his guests. Yuuri’s lively eyes focussed on his coffee, though his slightly upturned mouth and bright eyes spoke of excitement. Beside him, Phichit stared openly at Victor, shock etched in his features, and eyes holding an expression that was both concerned and considering. Yakov, his ever faithful servant, stood by the door, proud gaze fixed on the opposite wall with a fixed smile, looking every inch of the royal butler he was. But Victor knew better - Yakov was desperately schooling his expression, though from what he wasn’t certain. Finally he turned to study Chris; a man he knew, but couldn’t predict as well as the others. Chris was also looking at him with a considering gaze, though his was much more calculating than all of the others. That wasn’t a surprise really, after all, with his position he would expect that Chris would be the most discerning of his true intentions, and not just intentions, but ability.

 

Yuuri, no nonsense as ever, was the first to break the silence. “But… King Victor… are you sure???? We are talking about the assassination of the King - of your parents - there is no higher crime in Ruzka.”

 

Victor gave him a tired smile before replying. “Yes, Yuuri, I am sure. After all, it’s not like we only have this one opportunity; we can still charge and try him at any point as there is no limitation date for crimes of treason. However, given the current political situation, I really see no upside in prosecuting and making everything public. And… on a more personal note, I really don’t want my father’s memory sullied any more than it has been. To be reduced to a scandal… he deserves better than that. I don’t want to cast a shadow on his memory now. He rests in peace in the minds of the people, and let us leave it that way. Besides, that could cause even more division within Ruzka - people arguing whether it was justified and arguing against the death penalty… we have enough going on right now without that. I know the truth about my father, as do all of you, and that’s enough.”

 

Yuuri held his eye for a moment, seemingly judging his sincerity and his will. Victor met the gaze gladly, knowing that he would find nothing but certainty and determination in Victor’s eyes, even if a little ironic humour lingered there.

 

Because, honestly, this situation was seriously ironic. He’d spent his entire youth and his younger adult life actively hating his father for foregoing all of his powers and silently agreeing with public opinion denouncing him, and yet when he finally had the ability to redeem his father’s reputation… he chose not to. But the situation demanded action greater than pettiness, and petty he would be if, despite knowing the damage it could do, he gave into the whim to restore his father’s honour.

 

Before he could continue, Phichit interjected, clearly distraught, “But Victor! I know you’re trying to be strong, to do the right thing, but you’re taking on too much! We can’t possibly ask you to continue on this path after all of this! This is too much for anyone to handle, and yes, ok, over time, I know you’ll be fine, but to take action now… without taking the time to deal with this… it’s too much.”

 

Hearing the sharp gasps from both Yuuri and Chris (whether from Phichit’s familiarity or his outburst in general, Victor didn’t know), Victor interrupted firmly, “No, Phichit. I will be fine. I am a Nikiforov, and I’ve been raised to face challenges exactly like this. Just look at history and you’ll find it’s teeming with examples of treachery, betrayal, assassination and all other crimes imaginable against any monarchy that has ever existed. If my predecessors, whether in blood or position, can fight and emerge successful from all that, so can I. Just because the modern world tends to be kinder, doesn’t mean those challenges have disappeared - they have just taken different forms. I enjoy a position of privilege, and with that comes responsibility and duty. And now is the time to embrace that duty.”

 

“His Majesty is correct, Phichit,” Chris stated firmly, and perhaps emphasizing the formal address. “The priority right now must be Ruzka if we want to try and avoid this war, and right now it’s not certain we can avoid it. King Victor does not have the luxury of time that we might wish him to have. We need quick and decisive action, and at the very least, having King Victor take emergency control of the government will signal to others that change is coming. It should make them pause, at the veryleast, and that gives us much needed time to try and fix the political morass Nikolai and JJ have created. Besides, as it was pointed out, it’s not as though there is an expiration date on matters of treason. Keeping this to ourselves ensures the long term cooperation of Nikolai and his supporters. If worse comes to worse, and we can’t secure their cooperation, we can still resort to making his treachery public.I suggest that we focus the rest of this meeting on our next steps, as we need to move ahead immediately.” Chris turned to Victor then, “Your Majesty, I want to assure you that you will have the unwavering support of Ruzka’s military in this. We have always been loyal to the Nikiforovs, and I can assure you that that has not changed.”

 

Victor was grateful for Christophe’s support. Though he knew that in theory he had the support of the military, it was still comforting to know that they would stand behind him in his bid to get his powers back. After all, this was hardly ‘business as usual’, and taking a such a stand in the political realm could be risky if they did not succeed. “Thank you, Chris,” he acknowledged, “I appreciate the confidence, and the support. I believe one of the first things that we need to do is contact the strategy branch as I am sure that they will have recommendations in regards to dealing with Fleodal.”

 

An hour later, they had settled on an initial plan, texts had been sent, phone calls made, and each of them had a number of tasks to complete. Victor made his way back to the library to spend the remainder of the afternoon contemplating the situation and monitoring his phone for messages. Yakov was left to see his guests out, with admonishments to be careful - after all, given what had happened to Yuuri, none of them could be too careful, security detail or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was really a turning point for Victor and we see him starting to embrace leadership and give direction to his team.
> 
> Oh Friday I'll post the last two chapters. Everything comes to a head in chapter 14, and 15 will be the fallout & resolution. I promise a happy ending... well for almost everyone, anyway.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> King Victor confronts Nikolai and JJ with unexpected results.

_January 20, 2017_

 

Yuuri had done some major calendar stalking the previous afternoon and found that both JJ and Nikolai had a meeting marked private in their calendars for today at 4:00 pm. He managed to discern the location through JJ’s personal assistant, who had actually put in a calendar reminder to have catering be sent to the Prime Minister’s mansion for the same time as the ‘private’ meeting. The assistant had even specified the room that it was to be delivered to. Too easy, he thought, and careless on JJ’s part. There was no way any of Nikolai’s staff would make such a mistake.

 

Looking at his watch, he saw it was almost noon, and the committee meetings should be breaking up soon. They had taken full advantage of JJ’s schedule, Christophe having arranged to bug not just the room where the meeting would take place, but also the other conference rooms, sitting room and dining room in the PM’s mansion.The task was made a lot easier by the fact that the Prime Minister’s mansion, also known as 1 Parliament Row, was a mansion that was owned by Nikiforovs, as all the government buildings were. It was located on the same street as Parliament and traditionally occupied by the Prime Minister. Originally it had been used by the Nikiforovs for visiting foreign dignitaries, but upon Ruzka becoming a constitutional monarchy, the mansion had been designated for the government’s use. And of course, the security in the building was overseen by the military, rather than the regular government security since the safety of the Prime Minister had been deemed a matter of ‘state security’ way back when. This had made their plans that much easier.

 

Yuuri felt himself at somewhat of a loss. He had a million things to do, of course, after all, his day to day work hadn’t ceased or slowed in the slightest. But the anticipation of the afternoon’s confrontation made it near impossible to concentrate on what now seemed like mundane matters. Leaning back in his chair, he surveyed his desk, contemplating what to do next. But try as he might, he could not focus on anything else. His thoughts were constantly turning to the King, thoughts consumed by both worry and admiration. He had come so far from the man he had first met back in the beginning of December. He remembered thinking at the time that maybe it wasn’t a good idea to meet one’s idols; however, since then the King had surpassed all of Yuuri’s expectations. He was growing into himself, becoming the man that he was raised to be, living up to his potential. He smiled internally at his luck - to see it, to be a part of that transformation and just to be a part of Victor’s life. It was more than he could have ever dreamed of. Giving up for the moment on doing any work, he pulled out his phone to text King Victor to see how he was holding up.

 

**HRM King Victor** ♕

 

How are you doing?

Are you ready for today?

Anything else you need?

I’m always happy to help

 

໒( ͡ᵔ ▾ ͡ᵔ )७

I’m ok, thanks for checking in

As ready as I can be

Btw you’re brilliant

(。♥‿♥。)

I can’t believe you found the perfect set up

Idk what I’d do without you

 

You have lots of competent staff

You’d be just fine

 

…

But

They’re not you…

( ˘ ³˘)♥

 

OMG

Are you flirting?

 

Maaaaybeeee.

（＾＿－）

 

You’re a dangerous, dangerous man, Nikiforov

 

Oh you haven’t seen anything yet

This afternoon I’m pulling out all the stops

No holds barred

For that treasonous rat

 

Now that’s something I want to see

Ψ(￣∀￣)Ψ

 

(*˘︶˘*).。.:*♡

~~~~~~

 

Locking his phone, Yuuri huffed a laugh and shook his head. Victor was going to be the death of him, that was certain.

 

He turned back to his computer, resolutely ignoring the furious blush that had taken up residence across his cheeks. He would _not_ think about this right now. After, when things were settled one way or another, perhaps he’d have time to daydream about what Victor’s texts might mean. But right now he needed to focus.

 

~~~~~~

 

_4:30 pm, 1 Parliament Row_

 

Phichit and Yuuri followed behind Christophe and King Victor as they approached the front steps of the Prime Minister’s mansion, with King Victor’s personal security trailing behind. The security detail guarding the entrance nodded at Christophe and the King, having been informed earlier that they would be visiting, but with strict instructions not to speak to anyone about it, including JJ and Nikolai. Between the surprise visit from the King and the head of the RIC, not to mention the instructions to bug the premises, the soldiers knew that something momentous was about to happen, and it showed with their barely concealed smirks.

 

_Hmmm_ , Victor thought, it seemed from the soldiers’ reactions that there was no love lost between the soldiers and the parties currently engaged within the mansion. That could be useful knowledge, depending on how things went in the next couple of hours.

 

After gaining entrance to the mansion, Chris led their party to the room where Nikolai and JJ were currently meeting. Victor was surprised to see a civilian standing outside the door, but before he could inquire, Yuuri spoke up.

 

“Ah, Dev, I’m surprised to see you here. Didn’t Nikolai let you go for the afternoon after the committee sessions finished?” Yuuri spoke cheerily, with a conversational tone that belied the true purpose of their visit. Yuuri turned to the others, “This is Dev Katz, Nikolai’s assistant. Dev, I know you know Phichit and King Victor… I assume you’ve heard of Christophe Giacometti, as well? The head of the RIC?”

 

Victor stifled a chuckle as he watched the assistant’s eyes become saucers and then when realization set in and he hurriedly bowed to Victor, albeit rather clumsily and not as low as would be proper in the circumstance.

 

“Oh, yes, of course, my apologies for not greeting you immediately,” Dev stuttered, addressing their group as he bobbed up from his bow. “Ahhh, yes, Mr. Plisetsky asked me to wait here in the event he had instructions that needed immediate action.”

 

“On a Friday afternoon at 4:30?” Yuuri questioned, eyebrow raised. “Well, I guess we all know what a slave driver Nikolai is. Still, rather odd to be giving emergency instructions from the Minister of Finance without the other ministers present, especially the Minister of Defence.”

 

Nikolai’s assistant bit his lip at the last sentence, noticeably uncomfortable. “I don’t question Mr. Plisetsky, Mr. Katsuki, I just carry out the instructions I’m given,” he replied, looking to the side to avoid meeting anyone’s eyes.

 

Chris spoke up quickly, “Of course you are; however, the King has business right now with the Prime Minister and Mr. Plisetsky, so I suggest for the time being it would be prudent if you waited somewhere else.” He nodded at one of the soldiers guarding King Victor and the man nodded in response and took Dev by the elbow, gently guiding him down the hall. When they had reached some distance, Chris spoke again. “Don’t worry, he won’t be able to interfere now, and of course he won’t be harmed.”

 

“Thank you, Chris,” Victor replied, appreciating how neatly the situation had been dealt with. “Now, shall we…?” He turned to the door pointedly, and sensed more than heard his companions take deep breaths in anticipation.

 

Chris nodded his head sharply, in the typical acknowledgement used in Ruzka’s military before turning to address the remaining soldiers in Victor’s personal guard. They had brought ten, which was more than the normal half dozen that Victor normally brought along, but they knew the extra bodies could be necessary. Now down to nine, Chris instructed four to remain outside the door and five to accompany the group. Of the four remaining outside, two were on standby to enter if they heard a certain signal, which all of the group was familiar with.

 

Satisfied that the guards had the appropriate instructions, Chris grasped the knobs of the double doors without further ceremony and threw them open, obscuring the guards left to guard the door, yet allowing the members of their party to be seen.

 

The sight that met their eyes was far from nefarious; a perfect and delicate high tea was laid out to the side while JJ and Nikolai sat across from each other at a small table, squinting at various documents, and looking for all the world like two old men trying desperately to read a menu meant for younger eyes.

 

They both looked up at the noise created by the opened doors, JJ in shock, but Nikolai having a more measured, expectant look on his face. JJ leapt to his feet, appalled at the interruption. “Excuse me, this is a private residence, despite the fact that you are King, you cannot just wander wherever and whenever you please, your Majesty!!!”

 

Victor just raised an eyebrow at JJ, before declaring in his most dominant voice, “I don’t believe you have greeted me properly, Prime Minister. Shall I take that as a sign of disrespect to the Monarchy?”

 

“No, you Majesty, my apologies,” JJ replied as he gave a cursory bow. “You just startled me, is all.”

 

“I think it’s a bit more than that, JJ,” Victor replied, letting his royal persona take full control. “But I will let that go for now, as my companions have more pressing business to discuss with you and Nikolai.” He looked to Nikolai then, observing that the man not only didn’t look perturbed, but more like their intrusion was… expected. Despite everything, he looked like he was in control. Damn, Victor thought, there must be something they were missing here. Risking a brief sideways glance at Chris, he knew the man had picked up on the same thing and was more than a little concerned.

 

Yes, something was definitely wrong. But they couldn’t turn back now. Victor turned to Phichit and nodded. It had been agreed that Phichit would take the lead in the conversation, Chris backing him when necessary.

 

Giving Victor a spare smile, Phichit turned to the two men and declared, “We know that it was the two of you behind the scandal regarding King Victor. The accusations are completely false, and you have set him up. This cannot be allowed to stand. Your plot to discredit the King with false information could amount to treason, and we insist that you rectify the situation immediately.”

 

Victor knew it wasn’t going to work within seconds of Phichit beginning to speak. JJ looked unbothered and Nikolai looked downright amused.

 

“Oh? Treason, you say… that is a rather bold accusation considering you’ve presented no evidence,” JJ replied in an even tone. “Not to mention the fact that I’m not sure how exactly you can fit your accusation into the definition of ‘treason’. It’s the public that has made assumptions, based on dubious photos from social media, the validity of which I understand are still up for debate.”

 

He was correct of course, and Chris had made sure that everyone knew that in reality there was not a chance in hell of prosecuting for treason on the basis of the scandal alone. All they had done was create a situation where rumours could spread, where actions could be misinterpreted. They had not actively participated in the resulting public furor or made any statements which could be seen as confirming (or denying) the allegations. But still, they had bargained on the two being a little rattled by the word ‘treason’, especially Nikolai since he had reason to fear.

 

Phichit continued with the script they had agreed on, not letting any hesitance he might feel show in his tone. “We know that Yurio is the brother of one of Nikolai’s inner circle. And he not only insisted vehemently that Victor meet with this Mila, that poor young girl at the centre of this, but also ‘coincidentally’ he left their table when the so-called incident happened. It’s also strange, isn’t it, that Mila has not made any statements in response to the photos, whether to confirm or deny… and that is only because she could only honestly deny it which is contrary to the instructions she was given. So, I assume in exchange for all of this, you offered her a government scholarship so that her application to the Eugene Stone Foundation didn’t matter? I’m sure when tuition is due, Mr. Katsuki can easily trace the payments made on Mila’s behalf.”

 

Phichit paused then, presumably to let the accusation sink in, but the four allies used it to assess JJ, and more particularly, Nikolai. Their reactions were not at all what they expected, so it would be necessary to move to stage two of the plan immediately.

 

Nikolai had let the moment pass, a smile simmering beneath his nonchalant expression before speaking. “That’s all coincidence Phichit, you know that. There’s no proof of anything, and if Mila happens to apply for government bursaries which are then granted, what of it? My understanding of the situation is that she is more than deserving, which is why the Eugene Stone Foundation was interested in her to begin with. If you’re going to storm in here with wild accusations, I would hope that you’d have at least something more that that.” He looked pointedly at King Victor then, as if he was daring him to speak. Of what, Victor was not certain, but the look put him off balance. There was definitely more going on under the surface than they had anticipated, and he had no idea what that could be. After all, Nikolai had been acting to further his own mysterious agenda for decades… there could be any number of things that they had missed.

 

He softly blew out a calming breath, glad that he’d had the foresight to use the medication left by his physician. Giving himself a mental shake, he focussed back on the situation, of which they were rapidly losing control.

 

“Phichit,” he called, making sure his voice was steady and sure, “I think it’s time to discuss the other matter that was uncovered.”

 

Phichit’s eyes had whipped towards him at the sound of his name, and he looked at Victor with relief, thankful to be given direction in a situation that was quickly unravelling.

 

Phichit turned back to JJ and Nikolai then, more certainty in his features and body language. “Nikolai, we know the role you played in coercing King Maxim to give up his constitutional powers. We know that not only was the Queen threatened while pregnant, but that you, yourself, stabbed the Queen in the hand and caused the early labour that resulted in King Victor being born premature. And whatever you try to say to that, you assaulted the Queen, which is, beyond a doubt, treason. You can be sure that we have hard and incontrovertible evidence of your actions - evidence that is with us today, but has also been duplicated and preserved as necessary. I can assure you, the original is absolutely secure, so that if it comes down to it, it can be examined for its authenticity.”

 

At this, JJ finally looked uncomfortable, though Nikolai had barely blinked an eye.

 

“Perhaps we should show both of you the evidence?”

 

“I don’t think that’s necessary,” Nikolai replied at once. “Those events were long ago.”

 

“But yet, they appear to be related to current events,” Victor interjected authoritatively, trying desperately to retain control of the situation. “At the very least, JJ deserves to know exactly who he’s decided to give his allegiance to. And evidently, I also need to remind you that there is no statute of limitations for treason. You can still be tried and convicted, Nikolai.”

 

At that JJ sputtered, off kilter at last, but everyone else in the room hardly noticed, focussed solely on Nikolai and what was about to happen.

 

Yuuri moved forward to stand at the side of the table between the two men, perfectly on cue as always, video queued up on his tablet and ready to play.

 

As the video played, Victor kept his eyes on Nikolai, trying to pick up any clue as to what the man was thinking. He watched the video, expression passive, and did not give Victor the satisfaction of any sort of discernible response. Victor felt a strong sense of foreboding creep of the back of his neck. This was not good at all - clearly they were being out maneuvered and Victor didn’t even have an inkling how.

 

By the end of the video, JJ was quite pale, but though he was visibly shaken, it had not had the effect the group had imagined it would. Granted, the Prime Minister had blanched when the Queen started screaming, and had gripped the armrests of his chair in a death grip when she went into labour, but despite those reactions, he did not look as horrified as he should have. Which could only mean…

 

“I take it you were aware of this, JJ?” Victor demanded, needing to get to the bottom of why both parties were acting so unexpectedly.

 

JJ looked over to him, still perhaps a little shaky and replied, “Not the specifics, your Majesty, no, but I will admit that I am not surprised in general. I believe it’s much of an open secret within the Monarchist party that King Maxim was… convinced… to relinquish his powers. After all despite our party name, we have been advocating the redundancy of the Monarchy for a good long time now.”

 

Victor could see Nikolai smirking out of the corner of his eye. He was still perplexed that Nikolai didn’t seem to be the least bit concerned. “So,” Victor continued, “you would support someone guilty of treason? You are aware that Nikolai’s crime carries an automatic death sentence, JJ?”

 

JJ once again gripped the arms of his chair before responding. “First of all, your Majesty, I was not involved in any way with these events, so I fail to see how this has anything to do with me. When this happened I had yet to even become involved in politics. Secondly, I don’t believe that you will go public with this. There must be a reason, after all, why you didn’t just proceed with an official investigation instead of coming to us with these so-called threats. As Nikolai said, I fail to see what this has to do with your present allegations, for which, as has been pointed out, you have no evidence.”

 

“And what if we were to add the crime of regicide to the list of wrongdoings, JJ?” Victor spat out. “Are you really going to defend a man accused of killing a King? And let’s not forget the Queen, my mother. Do you think your reputation is so great that it could withstand such a blow? And could you personally support such an act? Murder, JJ. _Murder_. Will you support murder to reach your goal? Or should I even ask you that question since you seem to be determined to plunge Ruzka into a war which will inevitably result in the deaths of thousands, likely hundreds of thousands innocent citizens?”

 

JJ glared at him, defiant, his chin raised in defiance and retorted, “Some sacrifices have to be made in order to make Ruzka great again. Under the Monarchy, Ruzka has all but faded into insignificance. Under us, under ME, she will thrive, taking back her territory and become the great empire she once was! Like the king I should be, it is _I_ who will make Ruzka great again!!!”

 

Victor scoffed at JJ’s childish fantasy. “WAKE UP, JJ!!!” Victor thundered, “The course you are on now is madness, and is being driven by a madman. Ruzka is prosperous, her people happy until you started this nonsense. Ruzka is not going to benefit from war and your misguided foreign policy; on the contrary, all you are going to achieve is death and destruction! You will be known as the last Prime minister of Ruzka, the one that threw Ruzka into a useless war and caused her downfall. Is that the legacy you really want?” Victor was unrelenting in his speech, letting his emotions seep into his words and making his voice reverberate through the room. His was a voice that was born to power, his speech trained through the years to command, to entreat. He embraced his training now, letting himself be the King he needed to be.

 

Now, finally, JJ looked unsure, like the path he had imagined was paved with cobblestones was actually a series of lily pads floating in a lazy stream that was suddenly experiencing turbulence. 

 

“You don’t have any evidence of this! If you did, there would be an official investigation! You’re just trying to intimidate me!!” JJ seemed desperate in his rebuttal, obviously grasping at what straws he could.

 

“No JJ, I am not bluffing. The reason that we haven’t gone public with any of this is because I insisted on putting the needs of Ruzka first. Right now a scandal of this magnitude involving the government would worsen our precarious political situation. Not only would other countries swoop in to take advantage of the chaos, but Ruzka’s citizens would lose all confidence in their leaders; they wouldn’t know who to trust. Thanks to you, they can’t trust me. If they felt they were unable to trust the government as well… what do you think would happen?”

 

Victor let JJ contemplate that for a moment, watching the man think, rapidly trying to reassess the situation based on the new information. JJ was clever, that was for certain, and the man had a strong sense of self preservation. Both should bode well for their purposes, but then again, nothing was going as they had anticipated.

 

JJ looked up, finally. “I understand the ramifications if you went public with what you claim. However, what is your proof? You have offered only an accusation.”

 

Victor was silent a moment. He was concerned that Nikolai had not said a word during this exchange, and if anything, just looked vaguely amused. He tensed, knowing that the real challenge hadn’t even yet begun.

 

“Of course we have evidence. I’m not a fool, JJ, despite what people might think. I’ll let Christophe explain since he took charge of the investigation.”

 

Christophe took the lead then, beginning by outlining the evidence they had found regarding the trips taken by both Nikolai and Prime Minister Macleary that had no official government reason, the cell phone bills of both Nikolai and the Prime Minister being unusually high and showing several calls from the same number with a Fleodal area code, and evidence of an unusual amount paid to two contractors. JJ listened attentively, though he seemed unconcerned with the information. Nikolai once again looked unsurprised, and had no discernible reaction.

 

“That’s all circumstantial evidence at best, and you know it!” JJ interrupted, challenging Chris.

 

“You are correct, JJ,” Chris retorted, “However, that is just the background so you understand the context of what we are about to show you. I’d appreciate it of you would hold your questions until I have finished explaining.” Chris gestured to Yuuri, who once again had video loaded on the tablet.

 

As they watched, security footage played showing the meetings attended by Nikolai and Prime Minister Macleary with first one man, then the second joining them for the last minute. While it was playing, Chris narrated the dates and places where the meetings occurred. And the video drew to an end, Yuuri froze the image of the second man’s face on the screen.

 

“We have run facial recognition tests on both of these men, and have successfully identified them. The man you are looking at now was the driver of the truck that killed King Maxim and Queen Elizaveta. The other man was the man who rented the truck. And both men were recipients of just under one million dollars each for contracts related to ‘climate change’ for which we’ve been unable to find any deliverables. As you know, the driver died of a heart attack. As it turns out, the first man did as well - the very next day.”

 

JJ had looked more and more horrified as Chris spoke, and now he just looked blankly at Chris, trying to assimilate the information.

 

Victor once again turned his attention to Nikolai, to find that while he had gone a little pale, he still did not resemble a man whose death was assured at the mere word of the King. “Do you have anything to say for yourself, Nikolai?”

 

“No, your Majesty, I don’t actually,” Nikolai shot back, the smirk still plastered on his face.

 

This seemed to rouse JJ more than anything else had.

 

He stood up, hands braced on the table and roared, “What the hell, Nikolai? What the hell are you playing at? You plotted to kill the King. That is not a minor crime!!! You’ll be put to death for this!!!”

 

Nikolai looked back up at him calmly. “Don’t get your shirt tied in a knot, JJ. You know that what we’ve been doing amounts to treason. And treason is treason. There’s really no difference between our current plans and my past actions.”

 

“NO DIFFERENCE???!!!” JJ shouted incredulously. “I did NOT sign up for this shit Nikolai!! I want no part of whatever twisted scheme you have come up with. That’s it, I’m OUT.”

 

“Not so fast, Prime Minister,” Christophe interrupted. “Nikolai is correct, treason is treason, and by his own admission just now, your plans amount to treason. That’s enough just cause to start an official investigation. I’m afraid given the depth of your involvement, you can’t just bow out because things have become serious. I might add this room has been bugged and our conversation recorded.”

 

“However,” Victor interrupted, “my concerns for Ruzka’s welfare still stand. I believe that we can still fix the situation. If you cooperate, I will instruct the RIC not to prosecute. If you do not, I’ll be forced to order official - and public - investigations into both of you, for actions past and present.”

 

JJ stared at him, perplexed. “And what does this ‘cooperation’ entail exactly?” he asked, the slight tremor in his voice betraying his true emotions,

 

This time Phichit spoke up, “A number of things. First, we need you to clear up this scandal, to bring the girl forward to clarify the situation and have the Monarchists publicly back the King. Secondly, you are going to propose and endorse a bill into Parliament that will reverse the constitutional changes and restore the Monarch’s constitutional powers. Thirdly, King Victor will reverse the policies that have created this mess, and fix our international relations, and you will support each and every change King Victor makes. And last, Nikolai will agree not to run in the next election.”

 

Victor could see the thoughts rapidly flitting behind JJ’s eyes as he weighed his options and considered all of the evidence that had been presented. Finally, a look of resignation came across his face, and he turned to Nikolai.

 

“Nikolai, I do not believe we have a choice. The King is right, if there is a public investigation, everything that we have been working on will be for nothing. Besides the personal consequences, we gain nothing by refusing to cooperate.”

 

Nikolai was regarding JJ with disdain. “So quick to turn tail and give up, JJ. I shouldn’t be surprised, after all it was clear to me from the start that you are too weak to take the necessary actions. You’d never have even gotten this far if it wasn’t for me.”

 

JJ shook his head, “None of that matters now, Nikolai. I have to draw the line at this. I refuse to be a part of your schemes any more. I may not be proud of some of the things I’ve done and agreed to in order to further Ruzka’s future, but I would never, could never, endorse the actions you have taken, Nikolai. You are sick, and you need to get proper treatment. I will do as King Victor asks.”

 

“No! You will do no such thing, JJ. You will continue to do as I tell you. Do you really think that I didn’t plan for this possibility? The reality is that the King will do nothing to act on any of this.”

 

“Oh, pray tell, why is that, Nikolai?” Victor demanded angrily. He was already suppressing a deep rage towards the man that had threatened and hurt his mother then killed both his parents. Despite his earlier resolve, it was tempting to allow Christophe’s people to continue the investigation and see Nikolai sentenced to death.

 

Nikolai sneered back at him. “Because, nephew dearest, you won’t wish for certain family scandals to be made public, now would you?”

 

Victor stepped back until he felt his back hit the wall behind him. At the same time Yuuri burst out, “Nephew!??? Explain yourself Nikolai. Now. Give us a good reason why King Victor should not have you arrested immediately and order the investigation to continue.”

 

“You don’t really think I came unprepared for your little visittoday, do you? There’s a reason this is our first meeting outside the Parliament buildings. I knew it would finally draw you out.” Nikolai then took an envelope out of his breast pocket and tossed it across the table towards Phichit and Yuuri. “Go ahead, open it. Inside you’ll find my birth certificate along with a paternity test and my mother’s marriage certificate.” He paused while Yuuri deftly emptied the envelope of papers. “As you can see, my biological father was King Alexei Winslow Yurio Nikiforov.”

 

Victor stayed silent as he looked to Yuuri for confirmation. He scanned the documents quickly, but thoroughly, then nodded. “These are definitely official government documents. And yes, it indicates that Nikolai was born to Margaret Hunter, who married Preston Plisetsky shortly after his birth. The paternity test indicates that the biological parents are Margaret Hunter and Alexei Nikiforov. It’s certified by a royal physician.” Yuuri paused then, looking Victor in the eye. “There’s one other thing, your Majesty. The date of birth is about four years before King Maxim was born.”

 

At that, Nikolai burst into bitter laughter. “And that _is_ interesting, isn’t it? Technically, I was the heir, and should have claimed the crown after King Alexei’s death. But that’s not how it played out, is it, Victor?”

 

Victor swallowed reflexively, realizing the implications of what Nikolai was saying. If this information came out, Nikolai could be declared to be the rightful King, and Victor dethroned. And he could see it happening, too, since Nikolai had served the government for an incredible thirty six years consecutively. Whereas Victor had zero experience and currently a very unsavoury reputation.

 

“So this is the game you’ve been playing,” Phichit murmured, eyeing Nikolai speculatively. “I think I finally understand.”

 

“Well, at least one of you has the bare minimum of brain cells to come to a proper conclusion.” Nikolai was smiling widely now, his smile twisted into a grimace that made Victor shiver. “I’m glad you finally understand why none of your conniving matters in the least. You may have thought you had some grand plan, but I can assure you, I have been planning this since I heard the name of my biological father on the dying lips of my mother. King Alexei was not a ‘people’s king’. He cared not at all for his subjects, and after threatening my mother and forcing her to keep his dirty little secret, he abandoned her, save for his lackeys which made sure she kept quiet. He didn’t even provide any financial support when my mother and her husband fell into hard times. She sufferedbecause of him. As did her husband, who married her to preserve her honour as a debt repaid to her family. And yet King Alexei didn’t care, never looked back at the result of his dalliance. All he cared about was that his reputation wasn’t sullied.”

 

Nikolai paused briefly, wiping at the spittle that had accumulated at the side of his mouth. He began again, his voice several decibels louder, “Do you know how it was to be raised like that? My mother died when I was ten. At ten years old I learned the truth and was forced to watch from the sidelines, in borderline poverty while my brother enjoyed every luxury, all the love of his parents and of the people. Public adoration… he had everything given to him on a silver platter, INCLUDING THE VERY KINGDOM ITSELF!!!!”

 

“IT. SHOULD. HAVE. BEEN. MINE.And your beloved father, Victor? He knew! He KNEW I was his brother and he didn’t care, didn’t even acknowledge me ONCE. I will destroy the Nikiforovs, and their ‘precious’ Kingdom with them. There will be nothing left for you, Victor. Do you hear me? NOTHING!!!”

 

Nikolai had begun to stand, body quaking and now turned to Victor with a fist raised. JJ attempted to intervene at this point, but Chris was faster, darting behind him and restraining him. The guards that had accompanied them quickly joined him and they soon had Nikolai seated and handcuffed.

 

“You’ve forgotten one crucial fact in your plan, Nikolai,” Christophe spit out, clearly having trouble restraining himself. “You’ve committed treason and regicide. Not only is that an automatic death sentence, but should you, for some godforsaken reason, begranted clemency, you are automatically disqualified from claiming the throne. The rules are absolute. You have no protection, Nikolai. None.”

 

In the silence that followed Chris’s pronouncement all eyes focused on Nikolai, and they watched as the fight seemed to drain from him - his features which had been frozen in rage became slack as the reality sank in. He began shaking again, this time from some other emotion, and the dark red that had suffused his skin faded rapidly to an unhealthy looking grey pallor. His eyes, which moments ago had been lit as if by brimstone itself, were now blank, almost vacant.

 

When it was clear that Nikolai would not be offering up any further resistance, Chris turned to Victor, “Orders, your Majesty? I recommend that we take him into custody. We can take him to the isolated secured area we use for interrogations. It would be easier to keep the matter quiet that way.”

 

Victor nodded slowly, still reeling from the shock, “Yes, Christophe, I think that would be prudent for the moment. We can have a little chat with JJ here while Nikolai takes some time to consider his situation more carefully.”

 

“Yes, your Majesty.” Christophe called two of the remaining guards and after giving quiet instructions the guards left with Nikolai in tow.

 

To Victor’s surprise, JJ was the first to speak. “Your Majesty, I want to deeply apologize for my part in this,” he addressed Victor with a bow and a trembling voice. “I will fully cooperate with you. I assume your team already has plans in place?”

 

“Thank you JJ, but you can apologize with your actions from here on out,” Victor responded firmly. He turned to the side, where he noted Yuuri was busy collecting Nikolai’s documents and adding them to his own. “Phichit, Yuuri, will you please discuss the details with JJ?”

 

He sat down at the table a couple seats down from where Phichit and Yuuri had joined JJ and already discussing the details of how their plan would play out. He willed himself to stay still, keep his shoulder straight and not let out the shuddering breath that threatened to escape. He couldn’t look weak now of all times, not to the people that had so ardently supported him, nor to JJ, whose cooperation would be integral to the success of their plans to save Ruzka.

 

So instead of collapsing in on himself and sobbing his emotions out, he kept his breath even, his face stoic and his thoughts to himself. He was glad that Chris had so quickly diffused the situation and had removed Nikolai. He chuckled internally, thinking that every time he’d thought he had learned something that turned his world upside down, life threw something else his way. He was going to need to get his physician to set him up with a therapist as soon as possible. He could certainly use help to work through all this, and as he’d learned the last months, there were lots people around him that he could rely on. He didn’t have to suffer or struggle alone. And though determining Nikolai’s future would be top priority, thanks to Chris he had a small respite that would give him time to talk to his friends and decide the best course of action.

 

His friends… He smiled a small, private smile, watching Yuuri and Phichit handle JJ, with all the details and documents already prepared. For the first time he truly felt like the King.

 

~~~~~~

 

_January 21, 2017_

 

It had been 24 hours since Victor’s world had been turned upside down for what seemed like the billionth time. Upon their return to their palace the night before, Victor had immediately contacted his physician and requested he make arrangements for a therapy session the next morning with someone that could be trusted. He had a lot of decisions to make, and he wanted to make sure that he had sorted through his emotions at least somewhat. The last thing he wanted to do is make a decision based on emotion.

 

And it had helped more than he had thought it would. At the very least, the therapist had helped him identify his feelings and in considering what next steps should be taken, he could now identify what was being driven by emotion rather than logic.

 

He had also come to another important realization overnight - why his father had been so cowed by Nikolai, and why he had kept his actions secret. There had been no one present when Nikolai had assaulted the Queen that was aware of the law like Chris was. His father most likely didn’t realize that the actions Nikolai had taken that day had disqualified him from taking the Crown. He had probably grown up with the fear that he could be usurped at any time, since there was no way that the Nikiforovs would follow through with a death penalty. It all made sense now, and there was a certain amount of relief, of a weight coming off his shoulders. After his parents died, he had never expected his questions would be answered, but they finally were.

 

He had told Yakov the night before, after meeting with his physician. Yakov had been stunned as well - so much so, Victor had almost called his physician back. But like the stalwart man he was, Yakov quickly composed himself. It was profound, sharing this secret about his family with Yakov. While the others knew of King Maxim, they didn’t know him like he and Yakov did. And now that he thought about it, even he didn’t know his father the way Yakov did. Like Victor, the news had given Yakov a new understanding of Maxim, and why he took what actions he did.

 

And as he pointed out to Victor - now they knew exactly why King Maxim had thought Victor would rule properly one day. Nikolai had had never married and had no children, so once he had passed on, there would no longer be a threat to King Maxim’s line. That was why he had started planning to reverse the amendments - he believed that there would come a time when Nikolai’s blackmail and threats wouldn’t matter.

 

Nikolai… he was happy with what he had decided to do with Nikolai. It had been Chris’s suggestion, one he had seized upon immediately since it solved so many of their problems. After consulting with one of the military’s psychiatrists, it had been determined that there was enough cause to hold Nikolai while further diagnosis was made, but on his initial evaluation, it appeared that Nikolai met the criteria for antisocial personality disorder with violent tendencies. Once an official diagnosis was made, they would be able to hold him indefinitely in a psychiatric facility. If that was not the case, they’d have to find some other solution, but the doctor had reassured Victor that he was pretty confident in the diagnosis. Of course they would spin it differently for public consumption, but it would allow him to permanently confine Nikolai without having to pursue an official investigation and formal charge.

 

Bringing himself back to the here and now, Victor glanced at his watch. It was nearly 5:00 pm, so he was just on time to meet with Chris, Yuuri and Phichit. Chris was also bringing along a military strategist that he particularly trusted, so they could start planning their next steps in more detail.

 

He strode rapidly to the conference room they had decided would become their ‘war room’. Now that they were bringing in more people to help, and could be open with their planning, a proper conference space was needed.

 

On his arrival, he found that everyone had arrived and were chatting animatedly. Phichit had already commandeered the white board and was starting to draw a ‘storyboard’ on it, receiving careful direction from Yuuri. Chris and the strategist looked to be engaged in deep conversation about some reports that Chris was waving around. He paused briefly at the door, taking in the scene and wondering how all this had come about. Shaking his head, he walked in, and took command of the room, his head held high.

 

He was King Victor Dmitri Vladislav Nikiforov - King of Ruzka, and servant of his people. And now was his time to reign.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo... whatcha think?


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is both a conclusion and a bit of an epilogue. There are news stories sprinkled throughout and quite a few time skips - so pay close attention to dates.
> 
> And of course there’s another surprise in store. Because… well, you’ll see how it all ties together. TW for character death, but nothing violent or graphic or stressful.
> 
> A small note of explanation. In this government (as I think is common in commonwelath countries) bills are introduced and debated and passed. After they’re passed they still need to be proclaimed by the Monarch (or the Monarch’s representative) before they come into force and effect. Another term ithat is sometimes used for the coming into force date is when they receive “royal assent”. So in the news articles, the bill passes Feb 2nd but is proclaimed Feb 3rd, so Feb 3rd is when the law comes into force.

> <www.RuzkaTribuneOnline.com/local-news/KingVictorVindicated>
> 
> **KING VICTOR VINDICATED, MS. BABICHEVA APOLOGIZES**
> 
> Published January 23, 2017 / Updated 1:02 pm
> 
> By R. Jones
> 
> At a press conference called this morning, Ms. Mila Babicheva finally addressed the allegations made against King Victor, an astonishing 18 days after the news broke. In her prepared statement, Ms. Babicheva formally apologized for causing what she called a ‘misunderstanding’ and cited her reason for waiting as ‘embarrassment’ and a ‘wish to remain as private as possible’. She further explained that the physical contact had been initiated by her, not the King, and that there was ‘absolutely no kiss’. According to Ms. Babicheva, the King was very quick to terminate all physical contact, and acted a gentleman at all times.
> 
> When questioned regarding whether the King or his staff had paid her off or coerced or influenced her statement, Ms. Babicheva adamantly denied the suggestions. She further admitted that she initiated the physical contact because she had a crush on the King, and wished to have a relationship with him. She stated that her advances had been rejected in no uncertain terms, which had caused her great embarrassment and was the reason behind her delay in speaking to the allegations. She also stated that she ‘deeply regretted’ her part in the scandal and ‘begged the people of Ruzka to not let her foolish actions taint the people’s opinion of the King’.
> 
> Her chaperon for the evening, Mr. Yurio Thorton, confirmed Ms. Babicheva’s story, stating that he was astonished when he realized how wrong the public interpretation of the situation was…
> 
> ( **click** **here** to continue reading)
> 
> (12,084 comments)

 

~~~~~~

 

> <www.RuzkaTribuneOnline.com/local-news/MPPlisetskyHospitalized>
> 
> **MP PLISETSKY HOSPITALIZED, PM CITES FAILING HEALTH**
> 
> Published January 25, 2017 / Updated 10:47 am
> 
> By W. Bennett
> 
> The Prime Minister’s Office released a statement today stating that MP Nikolai Plisetsky, 66, has been hospitalized after a period of ‘failing health’. Although the exact nature of MP Plisetsky’s illness was not released, the statement indicated that it was not expected that Plisetsky would be able to return to his duties. Accordingly, a by-election will be held, the date to be announced shortly.
> 
> Nikolai Plisetsky served in Parliament since 1980, the longest serving member in Ruzka’s history. Plisetsky had the added distinction of being the only actively serving MP who had also served when King Maxim still had governmental and law making powers under the Constitution Act.
> 
> King Victor also released a statement, declaring that to honour MP Plisetsky’s lengthy service to Ruzka, the Royal Family will cover the cost of care as long as is necessary.
> 
> **Story developing**...
> 
> (comments closed)

 

~~~~~~

 

January 26, 2017

 

**OFFICE OF**

**THE HONOURABLE PRIME MINISTER JJ Leroy**

For immediate release

 

Media Advisory

> **Notice of Proposed Amendments to the Constitution Act**
> 
> As required by section 56 of the Constitution Act, Prime Minister Leroy, on behalf of the Monarchist Party hereby gives official notice that the Monarchist Party will introduce Bill 11 into Parliament during this morning’s session.
> 
> Bill 11 amends the Constitution Act to reinstate the previously repealed Part V, sections 60-79. The only changes to the original clauses that have been proposed are to ensure consistency with amendments made to the Constitution Act since 1988.
> 
> A joint news conference held with the Progressive Party will be held January 26, 2017, at 1700 hours in the media centre in Parliament Row. No media inquiries will be responded to prior to the news conference.

 

~~~~~~

 

_January 26, 2017_

 

 

**Yuuri** ❤

 

Today’s the day

I know Phichit said everything is lined up

But I can’t help but worry

 

You don’t need to worry King Victor

Victor

 

?

I’ve told you before

Call me Victor, Yuuri

We’ve been through too much together

I’m not just a title

And given what’s about to happen

I really need people I trust reminding me of that

 

Ok

Victor…

I understand what you’re saying

And you don’t need to worry

You won’t lose yourself

This is what you were BORN for

 

Oh?

I thought you didn’t put much stock in heredity

You’re much more an actions speak louder

than words kinda guy

 

The actions you’ve taken over the last month

More thanspeak to your capability

Everyone will love you

Don’t worry

 

Even you Yuuri?

Will you love me too?

(^_−)☆

 

Victor…

Are you flirting?

 

Yes… definitely yes

(˘³˘)♥

But I just meant you see right to the heart of matters

You see through status and see the person

Like *really* see the person

It’s quite terrifying actually…

 

w(°ｏ°)w

 

 

That’s a GOOD thing Yuuri

Sorry gotta go

Almost time for them to start

Wish me luck

 

Always, Victor, always

You’ll be fine

I believe in you

(˘³˘)♥

 

!!!!

 

~~~~~~

 

Victor locked his phone and stood up, adjusting his suit as he did so to make sure there were no wrinkles. He was in his Parliamentary office, a place he had only sparingly spent time previously, waiting for the daily session to begin. He knew things were lined up, and that it should go smoothly. JJ had already given the official notice that the Bill would be introduced into Parliament. The plan was that JJ would introduce the Bill, Victor would speak in support, then chosen members from all parties would each give a short speech in support. The Bill had been drafted quickly, but thanks to Yuuri, it had been no problem procuring the right staff and juggling their priorities.

 

Reflecting back to all that had happened since the confrontation with Nikolai, he had to give JJ some credit - once the man had decided to change courses, he was unwavering. Not only had he done everything that he, Phichit and Yuuri had asked, but he had contributed his own suggestions to make things go more smoothly. He’d also been particularly helpful in managing his own party.

 

Victor let out a puff of air and silently went over his speaking notes again. This was the first time that he would be speaking in Parliament other than the formulaic proclamations he was forced to give when the government passed bills into law. It would be the first impression the government - and his people - would have as him acting like a leader. He couldn’t screw this up, no matter what. It was perhaps the most important, most defining, moment of his life.

 

He unlocked his phone again and re-read the string of messages from Yuuri. Yuuri believed in him. He had actually managed to prove himself to Yuuri - and if he could do that, Parliament ought to be a cinch, he thought.

 

He kept that thought in his heart and mind, letting the warmth of Yuuri’s support fuel him, as he straightened his back and strode purposely through the corridors, ready to claim his destiny.

 

~~~~~~~

 

_February 2, 2017_

 

**Phichit**

 

See? I told you it would be fine

 

But

UNANIMOUS

Not a SINGLE vote against???!!!!

But how????

 

Well…

JJ, for one

But honestly Victor people want this

Even the MPs

We’re stuck in a position

that no one knows how to get out of

… and save face

So you’ll be the only one who can

Go against everything the govt did

 

Ohhhhh I see

So it’s also

The govt couldn’t just reverse their changes

You’re right

They’d look like idiots

Not that it would matter if there was no Ruzka

Which is what their actions were leading to

 

You got it

And now it’s even better

The people will be happy because

The govt is united

 

OMG

That means EVERYTHING falls on me

 

Ummmm….

You just realized that???

 

Well no

But yes

Maybe

 

Don’t worry, Victor

You have advisors

You have people you can trust

We won’t steer you wrong

 

Yes…

Yes, I really do

And I can’t tell you how much I value and appreciate it

Phichit…

Thank you

For everything, including

Kicking my sorry ass into motion

 

No prob Victor

I’ll be here to do it again

And as many times as you need

You called me your friend

And that’s what friends do

Though I think Yuuri did most of the kicking

(ᗒᗜᗕ)՛̵̖

You’re not alone Victor…

You’ve got so many people supporting you

 

Again…

Thank you

 

But you hurt Yuuri

And there’s no one that can

Save your ass from my WRATH

Got it Victor????

工ｴｴｪｪ(;╹⌓╹)ｪｪｴｴ工

(✖╭╮✖)

へ（>_<へ)

(⊙﹏⊙)

 

ψ（｀Д´）ψ

 

~~~~~~

 

> <www.RuzkaTribuneOnline.com/local-news/kingrulesagain>
> 
> **CONSTITUTION ACT AMENDED, KING REGAINS POWERS**
> 
> Published February 2, 2017 / Updated 2:01 pm
> 
> By R. Jones
> 
> In a historic moment in Parliament, Bill 11 was passed by unanimous vote in this morning’s session. Bill 11, which was introduced by the Monarchist Party on January 26, 2017, amends the Constitution Act to give the Monarch of Ruzka certain authority both in Parliament and over the governing of Ruzka.
> 
> During debate period after both the second and third readings of Bill 11, both the Progressive Party and the Labour Party spoke in favour of the bill. The Progressive Party, particular MP Chulanont, was vocal in their support, citing the necessity of giving the Monarch power back in order to clean up the “mess” made by the Monarchist Party. The Monarchists did not react to the goading by the Progressives, simply stating that it was time that Ruzka went back to its roots as a Kingdom. The Monarchists, Prime Minister Leroy stated, “have always supported the Monarchy and have been of the position for quite some time that the repealed sections of the Constitution Act should be reinstated”.
> 
> The Labour Party took the position that the Nikiforov family has always been “for the people” and thus their philosophy is completely consistent with the principles of the Labour Party.
> 
> Representatives of King Victor were unavailable for comment, but the King’s website stated that the King will address Parliament in tomorrow’s session, and will be available for comments.
> 
> **Story developing** ...
> 
> (view all 1,127 comments)

~~~~~~

 

> <www.RuzkaTribuneOnline.com/local-news/takingbackthereigns>
> 
> **IT’S OFFICIAL! KING VICTOR TAKES BACK HIS REIGN**
> 
> Published February 3, 2017 / Updated 9:34 am
> 
> By R. Jones
> 
> This morning, Bill 11, introduced by the Monarchist Party on January 26, 2017, was officially proclaimed by King Victor and became law. Bill 11 was passed by unanimous vote in Parliament on February 2, 2017, an occurrence unheard of since the inception of Parliament.
> 
> Bill 11 amended the Constitution Act to reinstate Part V, sections 60-79 which had been unilaterally repealed by King Maxim in 1988. The effect of the amendments are to restore certain authorities to the Monarch. Political scientist Takara Kimura explained that these powers can be generally explained as “a final veto power over all Parliamentary decisions, the ability to make Royal Proclamations and the authority to take full control of all governing Ruzka in the event of an emergency.”
> 
> With threats of war having been made by President Powell of Fleodal, there is speculation that Bill 11 was passed in order to allow King Victor to declare an emergency and take control of the government.
> 
> In a speech made to Parliament this morning after Bill 11’s proclamation, King Victor thanked the government for their faith in the Monarchy, and in the Nikiforov family. King Victor then made reference to the current situation with Fleodal, stating that Ruzka was in a “dark time” and that he was “confident that strong, united leadership” would succeed in leading the Kingdom through the “current challenges”. King Victor finished his speech by reiterating the Nikiforov family motto, vowing to always put the people of Ruzka first. ( **click here to listen to a live recording of King Victor’s speech** )
> 
> When asked what she thought of King Victor’s speech, Ms. Kimura stated that it was “a promising start for the young Monarch”. She further stated that it was too early to guess what actions the King might take, but a good starting point would be to reopen talks with Fleodal. “If nothing else, having given the King back his authority should signal to President Powell that Ruzka is ready and willing to change its course,” Ms. Kimura speculated.
> 
> While the political scientists speculate, the common people of Ruzka celebrated the news. The hashtag “#Victory4thePeople began to trend again, with many tweeting their support of the King. With his name cleared of any wrongdoing from the events of early January, and with the staunch support of the entire Parliament, King Victor has regained the support of the public. As evidence of this support, thousands came and gathered around Parliament Row this morning to greet the King as he arrived, and to celebrate as the morning’s session of Parliament concluded.
> 
> (For more on this developing story, and an in-depth analysis by Ms. Kimura, **click here** )
> 
> (view all 2,677 comments)
> 
>  

~~~~~~

 

_February 5, 2017_

 

Yuuri squinted at the paper in front of him, somehow convinced that if he concentrated hard enough the words on the paper would change. He had been tasked with getting Nikolai’s affairs in order. With no known family (and of course, wanting to keep things quiet), Victor had announced that the Crown would be responsible for Nikolai’s care, which of course, also ensured that the real story didn’t get out. Yuuri had decided that he didn’t trust anyone enough to handle the paperwork, so he had taken it on himself. Truthfully, he also wanted to do some digging and find out just how much Nikolai had been lining his pockets.

 

And it was a lot. Like a LOT. More than the discrepancies reported by Finance that had come to his attention.

 

But that was _nothing_ compared to the bombshell he had just uncovered.

 

He threw himself back in his chair, feeling the chair bend slightly backward at the force. He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes with shaking hands. He would need to do some more digging, make a few inquiries, and call Christophe to determine the exact situation. And then… he’d have to tell Victor. There was no getting around it. And he really, really didn’t want to. It was a critical time for the King and for Ruzka - the last thing Victor needed was yet something else to turn his life upside down.

 

Gritting his teeth, he reached for his phone and called Chris, knowing the man would be available even if it was a Sunday. While he waited for him to pick up he idly thought one of these days he was really going to have to brush up on some of Ruzka’s more obscure laws.

 

~~~~~~

 

> <www.RuzkaTribuneOnline/local-news/videos/Kingandpowelltomeet>
> 
>  
> 
> “Good evening, and welcome to the February 6th edition of the Ruzka Tribune evening news. Tonight’s big story is the announcement by King Victor that he and a carefully selected team will be meeting with President Powell in Fleodal later this week. The King announced that over the weekend he had been in contact with President Powell, and the President had graciously agreed to let King Victor visit Fleodal to initiate renewed trade talks. The King and his retinue will travel to Fleodal this Wednesday, with initial talks taking place on Thursday and Friday. King Victor indicated that assuming things went as anticipated, he would return on the weekend and government subject matter experts from both countries would resume talks on Monday, February 20th.
> 
> Reaction to this news has been immediate and effusive, many political scientists and activists coming out on Twitter to declare their support for further talks. Many have said this is the last chance for Ruzka to avoid a full scale war. Ms. Kimura, a political scientist with the University of Medkovo joins us to discuss this latest development.
> 
> Ms. Kimura, can you comment on the significance of this new round of talks?”
> 
> “Of course, Mr. Bennett…”
> 
> (view 799 comments)
> 
>  

 

~~~~~~

 

_February 7, 2017_

 

Victor had gathered his innermost circle (minus Yakov who didn’t know much about international politics) together to plan the next steps in dealing with Fleodal. He had already selected the team he would take with him to Fleodal - Yuuri, Phichit, Chris, JJ, the Minister of Trade and Foreign Affairs and the acting Minister of Finance. But before he spoke with JJ and the other ministers, he needed to make sure he had a solid plan.

 

He knew that eyes had been raised at the inclusion of Yuuri and Phichit, though JJ had been helpful with smoothing any ruffled feathers. The inclusion of Chris was, of course, natural given Victor’s position as head of the military, so he escaped the scrutiny the other two had had to endure. Though Parliament knew of the final members of the contingent, the news had yet to be made public. Victor wanted as much time as possible to finish their planning before he had to deal with other distractions.

 

…which brought them to where they were now.

 

“Ok,” Victor started, gathering everyone’s attention, “so I think we can all agree that one of the most contentious issues is immigration. I was thinking that I should go ahead and reverse the policy on that ahead of the talks with Fleodal. It might reduce the tension, and for sure it would give a clear signal that we are willing to move on our previous positions.Thoughts?”

 

Phichit beat the other two and spoke first. “I agree. I think making this your first exercise of power will send a clear signal - to Fleodal, but also to the people of Ruzka. They’ll see that you’re not afraid to act, and that you’re not shrinking from the real issues.”

 

“Yes, but it’s not just that,” Yuuri interrupted, “it’s also that the immigration policies are seen as … well… racist. Between that and how the Monarchists have been handling foreign policy, other countries think that Ruzka is becoming a fascist state. By reversing those policies, you’re not just signalling change, and that you’re willing to take action, you’re also telling the rest of the world that you won’t stand for exclusionary policies. Ruzka’s history has always embraced the diversity that our colonies and immigration have brought to us. We’ve been known to weave new cultures in with ours, rather than expecting people to just assimilate. I think this is a crucial issue when it comes to getting the support of our former colonies. After all - this policy excludes their citizens too. It rejects the people we once called our own.”

 

Victor’s eyebrows rose listening to Yuuri. He hadn’t thought of it quite that way, but he spoke truthfully. No wonder their former allies had been so insulted. Ruzka’s actions had been the antithesis of its previous philosophy.

 

“I concur,” Chris added. “I think Yuuri has hit the nail on the head. Reversing these policies isn’t just an internal political win - though it is a huge win as Phichit suggested. If you were to do that, it would be a major win on the international stage as well. I think as a first statement, it’s a very powerful, and very prudent one.”

 

“Alright, we’ll let JJ know that’s coming. I’m sure he won’t be overly surprised since that was Nikolai’s strategy,” Victor responded. “But what are our next steps? What do we need to bring to the table to make the talks with Fleodal successful?”

 

They spent the rest of the afternoon debating economic policy, Yuuri having brought forecasts and charts that showed the results of all the options. At the end, they decided to settle on a few different options that they thought might lead to the best outcomes, which they would present to the other members of the team for consideration. After all, as Yuuri constantly reminded them, their true aim wasn’t to gain an economic advantage - it was to avoid war. And to do this, they needed to be prepared to make concessions they may otherwise have not considered.

 

But at least they would survive.

 

~~~~~~

 

_February 8, 2017_

 

Phichit arrived at Yuuri’s office as expected just after Parliament broke for lunch. It was nice, Yuuri reflected, to not have to worry about what people might think to see him and Phichit together. While their friendship wasn’t known, a† least as part of the King’s advisory group they could meet freely without those old worries about accusations of ‘undue influence’.

 

Yuuri had made lunch for them both as he had during their school days, thinking the reassurance of the familiar might make the conversation easier.

 

“Ummm… Yuuri…” Phichit paused, catching Yuuri’s eye, “Not that I don’t appreciate it, but what’s with lunch? Did someone die that I didn’t know about?”

 

“NO!” Yuuri exclaimed, indignant. “No one died, I just thought it would be nice to share a memory. You know, nostalgia and all that…” Yuuri clamped his mouth shut as he realized he was just about to start rambling. “Anyway,” he continued after a moment, “I thought you loved my bentos!”

 

“Oh I do Yuuri, it’s just… been a while. And don’t try and avoid the topic, I know something’s wrong.”

 

Yuuri sighed in defeat. Phichit just knew him too well. “Well, _wrong_ isn’t quite the word I’d use, but I have come across something that could be, um, problematic.”

 

Phichit arched a perfectly manicured eyebrow at him while he started in on his bento, waiting for him to continue. Yuuri decided he should get at least something in his stomach while he could, and took a few mouthfuls of lunch before continuing. “Well, you know how I’ve been dealing with all the paperwork and stuff for Nikolai…?”

 

“Uh huh,” Phichit responded, sitting up a little straighter and beginning to look alarmed.

 

“Well… it seems he does have family after all… though there’s no indication that the family member in question knows he’s related.”

 

“WHAT???!!!” Phichit exclaimed as his chopsticks fell unnoticed from his fingers.

 

Yuuri squirmed a bit, thinking of how to best answer. “Well, don’t freak out yet, it turns out he’s not eligible for the Crown, so King Victor’s status isn’t in jeopardy.”

 

“Uh huh, and…” Phichit prompted.

 

“Well, turns out Nikolai had a son… with… I presume a mistress since she was married at the time.”

 

Phichit’s eyes bugged out of his head. “What????!!!! Spill, Yuuri.”

 

“It seems that Nikolai had a short affair with a woman named Alina while her husband was serving in the military overseas. They had a son, whose father was initially listed as her husband. However… her husband died in an accident when the child was 3 and a short while afterward the birth certificate was changed to list Nikolai Plisetsky as the father… and there’s a paternity test as confirmation.”

 

“OMG. But what does that mean?”

 

“Well, since Nikolai has committed treason it means that by law he is no longer a citizen of Ruzka. That also applies to his immediate family, so his heirs can’t make a claim to the throne. It’s a measure that was put in place generations ago to reduce any threat to the Monarch by close family. So Victor’s ok there. But, he has a cousin. And I imagine he would really want to know that. But…”

 

“But what????”

 

Yuuri sighed deeply, looking down and just barely resisting the urge to bury his head in his hands and just pretend he didn’t know.

 

“His name is Yurio Thorton. But really, it’s Yurio Plisetsky.”

 

“WHAT?????!!!!!!!!???????”

 

“Yup. And there’s no indication he knows who his real father is or any of this. Nikolai has always been a good friend of the family - the ‘rich uncle’ that would help them out whenever they needed it. He probably thought because of that he owed him when it came to the whole scandal set up.”

 

“OMG. OMG. YUURI!!! OMG!!!!”

 

“Yeah, I know.”

 

“We have to tell him,” Phichit stated firmly. “This is something he has the right to know.”

 

“But is this the right time? He’s been through so much, and with the talks with Fleodal coming up…”

 

“Yuuri… I know he’s your boyfriend now and you’re feeling protective, but this is just too important. You HAVE to tell him. But if it helps, we can both tell him.”

 

“Phichit… he’s not my boyfriend…”

 

“Maybe not officially, but you can’t tell me it isn’t headed that way, and quickly,” Phichit retorted.

 

Yuuri shot him a look, and brought them back to the topic at hand. “Why don’t we talk to him after we get back from Fleodal? That way he won’t be distracted for the talks.”

 

“Yeah, ok, Yuuri. Sorry, you’re right, we can’t let anything jeopardize these talks.”

 

Satisfied Phichit was thoroughly chastised, Yuuri went back to his lunch, pulling the economic forecasts he’d had put together and pushing them over to Phichit for him to review. After all, they’d need to know _everything_ about Ruzka’s economic situation before heading to Fleodal if they were going to be effective advisors.

 

~~~~~~

 

_February 16, 2017 - Fleodal_

 

As planned, Victor let his companions exit the plane first, giving his security personnel a few extra minutes to take stock of the situation without being obvious that they were doing so. They had traveled to Fleodal in Victor’s personal jet, which had been modified heavily by the military in the event they came across a hostile situation. Shivering with anticipation, Victor had never been more glad that he was head of the military. If nothing else, he knew they’d have his back.

 

He fiddled with the crown on his head, still unused to the weight, but straightening it the best he could. Yuuri, backed by Phichit, had insisted he start wearing a crown or circlet for his public appearances, saying that it emphasized his position. Phichit had added that it also added a certain glamour which appealed to the 45 and under crowd. Victor had acquiesced, especially since Phichit and his staff were still working hard to mold his public image into something that fit his new circumstances. And… he had to admit, the way Yuuri’s eyes had lit up in admiration the first time he’d worn a circlet might have had something to do with why he continued to go along with it.

 

Finally given the all-clear, Victor descended the stairs, pleased to see that everyone, including President Powell, was bowing. It was a good start, he thought, to see that he was going to be given the proper respect that his status was due. He had been worried that he would not be taken seriously by Fleodal, which would have made these talks exceptionally difficult. Starting off on the right foot might make all the difference.

 

He stiffened his spine, hauling himself up to his full height and projected his regal persona as he descended the stairs and made his way to the President and other officials sent to welcome him.

 

He could do this.

 

He _would_ do this.

 

~~~~~~

_February 18, 2017 - Fleodal_

 

“Please ensure your seatbelts are fastened and any carry on luggage or other personal effects have been secured. Take off in one minute…” The voice of the crewman continued to give perfunctory instructions to the group as they prepared to leave Fleodal.

 

Victor settled back in his seat, Yuuri sitting facing him in seats designed for airborne meetings. Yuuri looked tired, a little worn around the edges, and most definitely still on high alert. It had been a tough couple days, their talks with Fleodal’s top government officials intense and straight to the point. None of Ruzka’s contingent had had a moment to themselves or a moment off guard. Fleodal’s officials had been relentless in their demands and in their questioning. Even JJ had looked like he’d been put through the wringer.

 

But… it was all worth it.

 

Victor sighed deeply, settling back in his chair and letting his head tilt back and his eyes close momentarily. He was hesitant to admit it, to let himself relax, but… it looked they had done it.

 

They had avoided war.

 

They had saved Ruzka.

 

It turned out his actions repealing the immigration laws and policy had been instrumental. It was this policy which had really been the driving force behind Fleodal’s actions and foreign policy. And Victor could understand that. With opryx poised to be the most valuable commodity in the world, of course they would be wary of a complete Ruzka monopoly.

 

And they were right, Victor had decided unequivocally. If the scientists were correct, opryx was the best bet they had at beating cancer. Permanently. To limit themselves to Ruzka scientists to study and implement those treatments was just wrong on a basic human level. This was a global epidemic and Ruzka had the “cure”.

 

It was like insulin, he mused. A lifesaving treatment, given to the scientific community for free (or practically so).

 

And if Ruzka truly put people first… it had to be done. And of course there were still economic opportunities in the mining and distribution that they could profit from.But the science… Victor concluded that it was knowledge that should be shared openly with the scientific community.

 

He opened his eyes and gazed at Yuuri, observing how he bit his lip with the anticipation and pressure of lift off, and how he tried to be subtle with his death grip on the hand rests as they finally became airborne. With everything that had happened, Victor thought Yuuri was probably the bravest person he’d ever met… and the most loyal. He had seen this through to the end, despite the personal danger, and despite Victor’s early seemingly ambivalent attitude.

 

Things had been simmering between them for a while, though both had put any act to further their burgeoning relationship on the back-burner with the intense preparation for these talks. But Victor was pretty confident from the responses he’s received to his not-so-subtle texts that Yuuri was open to starting a relationship.

 

Despite the stress of the last few days, Victor felt butterflies in his stomach at the thought. He rolled his eyes at his reaction - he was responding like a teenager. But still, he couldn’t quite stifle the bubble of excitement that the thought of dating Yuuri brought. He resolved to asking him out properly as soon as they had landed and sorted themselves out.

 

He grinned, trying not to let Yuuri see. He’d finally managed to wrangle a confession out of Yakov, and it turned out that back at the beginning of all this, Yakov had been trying to play matchmaker. He’d known very well when Phichit had shown up with his plan that Yuuri was probably the brains behind it. So instead of letting Phichit bring Yuuri into the planning, Yakov had rather clumsily attempted to introduce Victor as the lonely king in distress to Yuuri’s knight in shining armour. He suppressed his smile even more when he thought back to the horrible first impression he’d made on Yuuri. Yakov’s plans sure had backfired, but luckily it was looking like he’d still get there in the end.

 

Victor relaxed, spending the short flight back musing on what types of dates Yuuri might enjoy the best.

 

~~~~~~

 

> <www.RuzkaTribuneOnline.com/local-news/approvalpoll>
> 
> **KING VICTOR’S APPROVAL RATING SOARS**
> 
> Published February 20, 2017 / Updated 6:04 pm
> 
> By W. Bennett
> 
> The latest poll results were released today, showing that King Victor is enjoying an 82% approval rating. Riding on his coattails, is the Monarchist Party, having jumped to a 55% approval rating from the low of 32% they experienced in December.
> 
> Takara Kimura, a political scientist with the University of Medkovo, explained that the jump in approval for the Monarchists was likely due to their support of King Victor, and the introduction of Bill 11. Taking the jump to reinstate the King’s powers was “crucial”, she explained, to convince the people of Ruzka that they were serious about solving the formerly dismal political situation. Now, with new trade talks with Fleodal underway, and the King having had a successful meeting with President Powell, the people are “more confident that the government is finally taking the right steps to achieve political stability”.
> 
> According to Ms. Kimura, the next few weeks will be the deciding factor in whether or not King Victor is indeed competent to rule Ruzka. She stated, “Success in these talks will go a long way to giving the people confidence that King Victor is able to handle himself properly in diplomatic situations. Further, if an agreement is reached that is balanced and fair, it will demonstrate that the King has a firm grasp on economics and trade policy.”
> 
> (Watch Ms. Kimura debate the King’s strategy and Ruzka’s future with Brian Smith, Dean of Political Science at Harrison College **here** )
> 
> (view all 945 comments)

 

~~~~~~

 

_February 22, 2017_

 

Yuuri and Phichit found themselves arriving at the Palace at the same time, for which Yuuri was grateful. Victor had, of course, accepted their request for a meeting without question, but Yuuri was really not looking forward to this conversation. Victor had had enough, had suffered enough, and did not deserve what Yuuri was about to spring on him.

 

They passed through he front door, the guards and attendants bowing slightly to Yuuri as a few broke from the group and trailed behind. Yuuri coloured a bit, still not used to the treatment that his status as “boyfriend” of the King had brought. They had yet to announce anything to the public (after all, they had only confirmed their new status a couple days previous), but in the Palace, Yuuri was treated as a royal.

 

Phichit, of course, picked up on his discomfort and smirked a little but didn’t comment. His best friend would always understand, he thought. He knew that while Yuuri was uncomfortable with the attention and the deference, he was, at the same time, determined to get used to it. He had to if he wanted any sort of future with Victor.

 

Shoving that thought down, he put his mind to the conversation they were about to have. Yakov would be joining them, which Victor would immediately find suspicious. While Yakov had helped with their initial plans, when things had progressed to the point they were purely in the political realm, Yakov had no longer attended the meetings of their inner circle.

 

But for this, Yuuri knew Victor would need Yakov.

 

They entered the war room the King had set up, the location signalling that he was obviously expecting this to be strictly business. Yuuri inhaled deeply, controlling his breathing as he and Phichit sat down. Yakov was already there, as was expected, standing against the wall and waiting patiently - the perfect vision of a Head Butler. After a few minutes the King entered, and they rose and bowed, sitting again after Victor had seated himself. Victor looked at them expectantly, a pleasant smile on his face as he cocked his head to the side and said teasingly, “So? What brings the pleasure of a visit of the dynamic duo today?”

 

Yuuri smiled at him, his grin wide as he appreciated his boyfriend’s true personality before he sobered up to return to the business at hand. Victor, noticing immediately, straightened up, smile sliding off his face.

 

Phichit took mercy on Yuuri and spoke first. “Well, Yuuri came across some information while tying up Nikolai’s business that needs to be brought to your attention.” His eyes flicked to Yakov as he continued, “Yakov, please join us. This is more… personal. Something you both need to know.”

 

Victor looked stricken at the word ‘personal’ and Yuuri reached out to him, squeezing his forearm in reassurance. “It will be ok, I promise,” he said softly, trying to reassure him.

 

He took a deep breath, and continued, “I’m the one who discovered this, so I’ll explain. Just keep in mind before I start, this changes nothing. This doesn’t threaten your position, Victor, and it doesn’t undermine anything you’ve done.” It was meant to be reassuring, but he could see from the expression on Victor’s face, it hadn’t worked at all.

 

“Ok, so, as Phichit said, while I was tying up Nikolai’s affairs, I uncovered some information contained in Nikolai’s personal papers….”

 

Yuuri explained the situation as calmly and as straightforwardly as he could. Victor took it in as he had taken in all the other revelations the past few months - slowly, bravely, and detached. He was quiet afterward, lost in his thoughts as the men around him watched anxiously. After all he’d been through, the news of a cousin _shouldn’t_ break him, but for all they knew, it could be the straw that broke the camel’s back. Victor had been through so much, so much more than anyone could be expected to endure.

 

He broke the silence finally, looking up. “Well, I guess this actually makes a twisted sort of sense. Not only was Nikolai trying to get rid of the Monarchy and rule from the shadows, but he was trying to create a new dynasty with the Plisetsky name.”

 

He paused. “I… umm… do I have to do anything?”

 

Yuuri smiled back at him, reassuring, and answered softly, “No… no, Vitya, you don’t have to do a thing. Yurio himself doesn’t know, and it doesn’t change the situation at all. It was just too important to you personally to _not_ let you know. Right now all you have to do is concentrate on finishing up the talks and put the final touches on the trade negotiations. Just focus on what you’re doing, everything else will wait.”

 

Victor smiled back at him, his face lighting up. “I can do that, my Yuuri. So… while you’re here, can I update you on the latest proposal from Fleodal? I had some thoughts…”

 

~~~~~~

 

> <www.RuzkaTribuneOnline.com/local-news/approvalpoll>
> 
> **TRADE DEAL SIGNED, WAR AVERTED!!!**
> 
> Published February 28, 2017 / Updated 2:01 pm
> 
> By W. Bennett
> 
> In a joint press conference earlier today, King Victor and President Powell announced that they have signed and executed a trade agreement that resolves the outstanding disputes between Ruzka and Fleodal. King Victor had already repealed the immigration laws that essentially prohibited immigration to Ruzka, a major point of contention in the past. With the previous immigration policies restored, the remaining disputes were regarding trade.
> 
> Both leaders expressed their satisfaction with the deal, calling the measures fair and balanced for both counties. Ending the press conference, the leaders shook hands, a sight that could not have been imagined mere months ago.
> 
> Many political scientists have said that these trade talks were critical to the success of King Victor, and his continued support in Parliament. And certainly, the young King seems to have proven himself capable. Brian Smith, Dean of Political Science at Harrison College, told us that the key to the King’s success was “identifying key people very early on, and assembling them into a team of advisors.” Mr. Smith also stated that “it was clear that the King listened to his advisors”, and that “it was the culmination of a team effort that resulted in an agreement being reached”. In response to being asked to comment on the people on the King’s team, Mr. Smith responded, “He has some surprises, that is for sure. Mr. Giacometti, PM Leroy, and the Minister of Trade and Foreign Affairs and the acting Minister of Finance would be expected. But the inclusion of MP Chulanont and the Deputy Clerk of the Privy Council are certainly surprises.” As to the impact of including these two on the team, Mr. Smith told us that “it was actually very clever, and indicates long term thinking. Including a member of the Official Opposition ensures that he will enjoy the continued support of both the majority and opposition in Parliament. And including a high ranking official within administration ensures that he knows the administrative implications of intended actions or decisions.” Mr. Smith further opined, “One thing is for sure, no one should underestimate King Victor. In this one event he has shown us that even at his young age and limited experience he is perfectly capable of being King.”
> 
> ( **click here** for related stories)
> 
> (comments closed)

 

~~~~~~

 

> <www.RuzkaTribuneOnline.com/national-news/Plisetskideath>
> 
> **MP PLISETSKY DEAD AT 67**
> 
> Published March 24, 2017 / Updated 4:01 pm
> 
> By R. Jones
> 
> Almost exactly two months after it was announced former MP Nikolai Plisetsky was hospitalized for an undisclosed health condition, the Monarchist party has announced that the Honourable Mr. Plisetsky has passed away.
> 
> The Monarchists announced Mr. Plisetsky’s passing in a press conference this morning. When questioned as to the cause of death, PM LeRoy stated that Plisetsky had suffered a heart attack as a result of complications from treatment he was receiving for an unrelated health condition. He elaborated that Plisetsky had a previously undiagnosed heart condition which contributed to his death.
> 
> King Victor’s office released a statement in which the King expressed his grief, and reiterated his appreciation of the former minister’s accomplishments, long service and loyalty to Ruzka.
> 
> **More to come…**
> 
>  

~~~~~~

 

_June 16, 2017_

 

It was a quiet Friday night, and Victor was curled up on a sofa in his suite with Yuuri tucked under his arm. It was a typical evening these days, and a routine that Victor could not be more happy or thankful for. Things were going well, both in Ruzka and with Yuuri. Victor had settled into his new authority surprisingly comfortably, and the people of Ruzka had been so desperate for strong and sensible leadership that they had embraced him whole heartedly.

 

It had not been without its challenges, for sure. Taking control of the government and navigating difficult negotiations with Fleodal had not been an easy introduction to governing. But Victor had decided that his ‘trial by fire’ was probably the most fortunate turn of events so far as cementing his role as Monarch. He had been forced to be the leader his people needed, and had shown them his true colours. Not only that, but he had made his mark in politics internationally, and had garnered respect from many world leaders, including, perhaps most importantly, Ruzka’s former colonies.

 

His ‘new’ reign had started a wave of nostalgia, for lack of a better word, with Ruzka’s citizens unabashedly celebrating their history, their accomplishments, and their place in the world. Ruzka had, after all, once been the largest empire in the world and widely regarded as a benevolent empire. And now, with the development of opryx, they were poised to do the same thing.

 

He kissed the top of Yuuri’s head, smiling as Yuuri just curled into him more tightly. He supposed now was as good a time as any to let Yuuri know he’d finally come to a decision.

 

“Yuuri, my love, I wanted to tell you something.”

 

Yuuri looked back at him, his brown eyes shining with love, trust, and a myriad of other emotions. “What’s up Vitya?”

 

“I finally decided what to do about Yurio.”

 

“Oh?” Yuuri asked, straightening up and at full attention. “And what did you decide to do?”

 

Victor took a moment to appreciate the partner that Yuuri was. The way he had just asked Victor what he would do, with no judgement, only support behind the question… it was not something Victor had thought he’d ever find. Yuuri was never afraid to contradict him, challenge him or tell him when he thought Victor was going to make a mistake. But underlying everything was a stalwart support… and love. Yakov had been right all those months ago in thinking Yuuri was just what Victor needed. They complemented each other perfectly and brought out the best in the other.

 

“I’m going to officially adopt him as a ward of the Nikiforovs. The public does not need to know the whole truth. We can simply say that in wrapping up Nikolai’s affairs following his death we discovered a previously unknown relative of Nikolai’s, and as per the honour the Crown has bestowed on Nikolai for outstanding service, the Nikiforovs will adopt Yurio. After all, Yuuri, if we are to marry, I need an heir. And it’s not unheard of in these situations for the Nikiforovs to adopt an orphaned son or daughter from a family that has provided long and faithful service. I mean, I won’t do it right away, these things need time to play out for public perception and all.”

 

Yuuri was quiet for a moment, digesting Victor’s words, though a prominent blush had risen across his face and down his neck. “Are you sure, Victor? Are you sure you want to go down this path?”

 

“Are you asking me about Yurio, or are you asking about us, love?” Victor questioned quietly. He knew that Yuuri was still a little insecure in their relationship, still a little worried that Victor would for some unknown reason find him lacking.

 

“Ummm… both, I guess?”

 

Victor smiled warmly at him and rubbed circles on his back in reassurance. “My future with you is nothing I’ve ever been more certain of, Yuuri. As soon as you give the word, I’ll announce it officially. I’d marry you right now if you’d let me.”

 

Yuuri punch his shoulder in response, somehow even more red than he was before. “You’re a sap, you know that right?”

 

“Ah, but Yuuri, I’m _your_ sap, and my sappiness is totally your fault. Just being this close to your perfection turns me into a pile of goo,” Victor responded teasingly. He knew such ridiculous statements worked to shake Yuuri out of whatever insecurities had taken hold. For good measure, he pouted dramatically.

 

As he hoped, Yuuri burst out laughing at his drama. “Ok, ok, but what about Yurio? You realize you’ll have to tell him the truth if you do this?”

 

“I do. But I think it’s important. After all, despite everything, Nikolai was my uncle. And if my grandfather had done the right thing, Nikolai should have been King. I can’t forget that. The Nikiforovs owe it to Yurio. By adopting him as a ward he won’t usurp me, but he’ll be a part of the royal family, as is his birthright. It’s the right thing to do. And right now I don’t have an official heir - if something unexpected were to happen to me, there would be a fight over succession by distant relatives. It never seemed important before, but now that I actually wield power, I want to make sure that I am choosing who is next in line for the throne. That means, of course, training Yurio, bringing him here, so he can observe and learn. But also Yuuri, if we ever choose to adopt or choose surrogacy… but anyway, Yurio would not supplant any children we have because he’s only a ‘ward’. Once we have children, they’re the direct line, blood related or not. If something happened to me then Yurio would act as regent until the eldest came of age. So… doing this actually kills a bunch of birds with one stone, if you will pardon the pun.”

 

Yuuri studied him a moment, a deep blush colouring his cheeks. “Um… we haven’t talked about kids yet, so, yeah, we should do _that_ if you’re really serious about getting married. But, um - “

 

“Ireallywantkidswithyou!” Victor interjected excitedly, practically bouncing up and down.

 

Yuuri laughed at Victor’s antics, now used to his almost childlike enthusiasm. “Um, ok, I , uh really always wanted kids actually, so that’s good.” He cleared his throat, “But back to Yurio, you know I’ll support your decision about Yurio, both in private and publicly.”

 

“Thank you, my Yuuri.” Victor smiled warmly, reining in his enthusiasm with a struggle. He had known Yuuri would understand, but he was still filled with overwhelming love hearing the support of his hopefully soon-to-be husband.

 

“So… now that the matter of children is settled, when do I get my official proposal…. Hmmmmm….?”

 

Now it was Victor’s turn to laugh. “Well if I tell you then it won’t be a surprise, will it?” he answered. He, of course, already had everything planned - he was just waiting for Yakov to get the final details arranged. The public announcement would have to wait, but Victor himself didn’t have that kind of patience.

 

~~~~~~

 

September 15, 2017

 

**OFFICE OF**

**HIS MAJESTY KING VICTOR DMITRI VLADISLAVNIKIFOROV**

For immediate release

 

> Media Advisory
> 
> **Announcement**
> 
>  
> 
> His Majesty King Victor Dmitri Vladislav Nikiforov is pleased to announce his engagement to Mr. Yuuri Katsuki, currently of Medkovo.
> 
> His Majesty and Mr. Katsuki will be married March 3, 2018, at the Medkovo Palace Chapel. The happy couple thanks everyone in advance for their well wishes. Media inquiries can be made to His Majesty’s personal secretary, Mr. Indra Joshi.
> 
>  

~~~~~~~

 

> <www.theRuzkainsidercom/gossip/royalengagement/whoisYuuri>
> 
> **WHO IS THE MYSTERIOUS MAN THAT STOLE THE KING’S HEART?**
> 
> Published September 16, 2017/ Updated 4:34 pm
> 
> By: R.M. Hurst
> 
> King Victor surprised all of Ruzka yesterday with the official announcement of his engagement to Yuuri Katsuki, 32. It appears the secret of their courtship was held close, with only the King’s personal staff and a few close associates aware.
> 
> So, who is Yuuri? Here’s what we know so far:
> 
> Yuuri Katsuki was born November 29, 1984 in Hatsetsu, a midsize town to the northwest of Medkovo to a middle class family. His parents are both government workers, and he has one older sister, Mari, age 36. Yuuri was educated at University of Medkovo, holding a degree in Political Science, with a minor in Finance.
> 
> Not much else is known about Yuuri socially, as he keeps his social media presence scant and rather impersonal. His close friends have also staunchly refused to talk to the media.
> 
> However, much is known about his professional life. Yuuri is a star in the government administration, having risen to his current position in a record amount of time. The colleagues we spoke to are loyal to him and speak of him as “no-nonsense”, “intelligent”, “dedicated” and “fair”. It seems the King’s sweetheart has it all - beauty, smarts and a background that perfectly complements the King’s duties. A combination, we’re sure, that will allow him to slip seamlessly into every aspect of the King’s life.
> 
> As for how they met and how long they’ve been courting, the Ruzka Insider was able to make some guesses from analyzing photos of King Victor and social media posts.
> 
> It seems that they met right around the time King Victor was falsely accused of inappropriate behaviour earlier this year. There is at least one photo posted on January 7, 2017, by a tourist which appears to show Yuuri’s vehicle entering the Palace grounds. And of course, we know that later, during the historic Fleodal Talks, Yuuri was selected by the King to be an advisor on his personal team. Given the timing of the meeting, it is likely that Yuuri and the King got to know each other during the discussions regarding the plan by the Monarchists to reinstate the King’s powers.
> 
> But how did it evolve into romance? Will Yuuri continue to work after the wedding? What about plans for a family? The Ruzka Insider will ask these questions and more during an exclusive interview with Mr. Katsuki. Stay tuned...
> 
> (view all 6,736 comments)

~~~~~~

 

> <www.RuzkaTribuneOnline.com/national-news/KingVictornominated>
> 
> **KING VICTOR AND DR. POPOVICH NOMINATED FOR NOBEL PRIZE**
> 
> Published September 20, 2019 / Updated 3:52 pm
> 
> By W. Bennett
> 
> Earlier today the Nobel Committee released its recommendations to the Nobel Assembly for consideration for the Nobel Prizes. Among those recommended, the Committee has included our own King Victor and Dr. Georgi Popovich for consideration by the Nobel Assembly for the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine. The Committee based its recommendation on the successful cancer treatment using opryx, developed by Dr. Popovich, and the free and open distribution of that knowledge to the world by King Victor. With cancer having become a world wide epidemic, the Committee stated that their contributions to the world of medicine would have a profound impact on improving the lives of all humanity.
> 
> “Whether or not the prize is awarded, this will be one for the history books,” stated Brian Smith…( **click here** for full story)
> 
>  

~~~~~~

_January 28, 2020_

 

The afternoon sun was shining radiantly in the blue sky, its reflection on the snow blinding as Victor and Yuuri sat in one of the Palace gardens, huddled in blankets and armed with insulated tumblers of hot chocolate while they watched their dogs play. It had been three years since Victor had become a king in more than just name, and nearly two since he had married the love of his life.

 

Just like those during days that had seemed so hopeless, the chickadees played and sang in the trees, unmindful of the cold, instead enjoying the bright winter sun. It was a bit surreal, Victor thought, how some things in his world never changed, while others had changed so drastically.

 

Just three years had passed since he had lead a useless life, one full of idleness and devoid of any true companionship. Three years since he’d been a mere figurehead, and had faced calls to abolish the monarchy. Three years since he had listened to the same cheerful chirping while contemplating impending war, treason and regicide. 

 

He had so much to be thankful for.

 

“Hey Vitya,” Yuuri said quietly, looking up from the text message he had been reading. “I just heard from the midwife. It’s… um…”

 

“What is it Yuuri?!!! Has something gone wrong? Is Mari ok?”

 

Yuuri’s lip twitched, and he had a slightly stunned look on his face. “Um, no… everything’s, um, _fine…_ they just got back from the ultrasound. And… um… it’s… uh…”

 

“YUURI!!!! USE YOUR WORDS!!!”

 

Yuuri shook his head. “Ah, yeah, right, sorry. Just a bit of a shock is all. It’s twins. We’re having twins, Victor.”

 

Victor jumped up, the fear in his heart having been instantly replaced with excitement. Tossing the blanket and tumbler aside, he picked a surprised Yuuri up and twirled him around, kissing him soundly.

 

Putting his laughing husband back down, he asked, “Is Mari ok? We’ll have to move her to the Palace so we can make sure she’s comfortable. Will your parents want to come too? And then, oh, Yuuri! We need to start planning the nursery! This changes everything. So do you think that we should put them in the green room, or maybe the one with the roses - it gets more light, after all. But is that a bad thing? Will it interfere with their sleep? And what do you think about…”

 

Yuuri chuckled as Victor continued to babble, both their hearts full of love and anticipation for what was to come.

 

And what was to come? Their entire lives, shared with the people that they loved the most and making their mark in history.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts? Scream at me? I LIVE FOR COMMENTS


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